Business Growth Spotlight

What if increasing revenue isn't actually the best measure of whether your business is growing well?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Don McDaniel, serial entrepreneur, healthcare industry veteran, educator, and founder of Canton Growth Partners, for a conversation about what it really takes to build sustainable growth and long-term business value.With more than 30 years of experience across healthcare, technology, insurance, consulting, venture capital, and entrepreneurship, Don has seen businesses grow from multiple perspectives. His central argument is simple but often overlooked:Growth matters. But the quality of that growth matters more.Don explains why companies can generate impressive revenue numbers while still struggling with customer retention, product-market fit, recurring revenue, and sustainable economics.Don's final message:Don't give up. Keep going. Keep plowing. There's always a new day.Bio:Healthcare is grossly imperfect, opaque, and highly frustrating to most involved. Consumers are an afterthought, mostly pawns in a morass of cronyism and protectionism among an entrenched status quo. There are pockets of excellence, but also high variability; not the requisite consistency, reliability, and transparency we would expect from such a critical industry. It is this paradox, “the best of times, the worst of times” that captured Don McDaniel’s imagination over 30 years ago and drives him (crazy) today.An industry leader and serial entrepreneur with broad-based experience, Don has experienced the industry’s dysfunction from many seats. He has served as a health system, physician enterprise, technology, and insurance industry executive, an operating partner for a healthcare venture capital firm and a formal and informal advisor to many entrepreneurs and leaders. He founded several new ventures, including Canton. Consistent across his diverse background is helping disruptive healthcare companies of all sizes and at various stages succeed. He is an active and seasoned board member, executive coach, investor and leadership sherpa.Parallel to his work in industry, Don is committed to educating and mentoring next generation leaders. A founding faculty member of Johns Hopkins University’s “business of medicine” MBA program, Don has been teaching health economics, and a variety of strategy, business and public policy course for more than 25 years, including a long stint at his alma mater, The Johns Hopkins University, with teaching appointments at Carey Business School and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2018, he became the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Thomas Jefferson University’s College of Population Health, where he continues as a faculty member. In 2023, Don joined UCL’s (London) new Global Business School for Health, as an inaugural Health Executive in Residence.Don brings this world of experience and the lessons of “many failures, some successes to his role as an innovative thought leader, and a dynamic, entertaining, sought-after speaker, writer, and facilitator. He has delivered hundreds of speeches across the globe, including delivering keynote addresses at prominent industry events.An unabashed acolyte of Milton Friedman, Thomas Sowell and Clayton Christensen, Don is a convicted believer in the power of markets and committed to disrupting the old order to reshape the healthcare industry. To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdmcdaniel; don_mcdaniel (X) Website:  www.cantongrowthpartners.com Cell phone: 443-904-2882Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com/ 🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Most companies treat growth as a sales problem. Jim Gitney has spent forty-five years proving it is really an operations problem in disguise. In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Jim, founder and CEO of Group 50 Consulting, to talk about what actually happens when a business tries to scale, and why so many of them stall out right at the moment they should be accelerating.Jim spent his first twenty-five years in corporate America at GE, Black and Decker, Sunbeam, and Rainbird, reaching general manager, COO, and CEO roles before leaving to start Group 50 in 2004. Since then he and his team have worked with over 300 companies across thirteen countries and added an estimated three to four hundred million dollars to their collective bottom lines. His focus is the middle market, companies from roughly twenty million up to seven hundred fifty million in sales, and his specialty is the moment he calls the inflection point: the stage where the systems, processes, and org structure that got a company here are no longer capable of taking it further.The conversation digs into why every company needs to redesign itself each time it doubles, why patchwork systems quietly strangle growth, and why 80 percent of businesses fail to realize the benefits of their own strategy. Jim traces that failure not to weak strategy but to the messy middle layer of execution, where organizations neglect to align their people, secure the right skills, and keep the most important goal in front of everyone. He shares a real client story of a company that came in at 30 million with a five year goal of 120 million and is now tracking toward 74 million just three years in.Jim and Heidi then get into AI, and this is where it gets practical. Jim reveals how Group 50 has codified its entire strategy methodology into an AI chief of staff, and he names the quiet risk most middle market companies are ignoring: 60 to 70 percent have no AI policy at all, with employees feeding company data into public models without a second thought. They close on visibility, where Jim explains how 70 percent of his business comes from organic search built on 225 blog articles, and why the shift from SEO to AEO is really a shift from keywords to intent.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgitney/ Strategy Realized:  www.StrategyRealized.comWebsite:  https://www.group50.com/ Contact: [email protected] Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Most business leaders spend a shocking amount of their day buried in people management, anywhere from ten to fifty percent, dealing with compensation, compliance, benefits, onboarding, offboarding, and employee relations. In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Neil Katz, founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, to unpack why HR is not just a compliance checkbox but a genuine growth strategy, and why the fractional model is changing how small and mid-sized companies build their people function.Neil brings 19 years in HR and a team with over 450 combined years of experience to the conversation. He explains why companies under 250 employees usually do not need a full time HR person, how fractional partners deliver expertise at 15 to 20 years of experience per person without the distraction of internal politics and endless meetings, and why the real cost of turnover is closer to six months of lost business impact than most owners realize.The conversation goes deep on hiring mistakes, including Neil's counterintuitive advice to try to talk great candidates out of working for you to reveal their true desire. He and Heidi also tackle culture, the number one thing employees actually want from leaders, and the reality of AI in HR. Neil is a huge fan of AI as a tool but is direct about its limits: it does not know what it does not know, and it will never replace the human connection at the heart of human resources.They close on visibility and growth, covering Neil's relationship-first outreach philosophy, why he has spent two years nurturing deals that eventually close, the challenge of measuring social media ROI, and the rise of AEO as the next frontier in how businesses get found and recommended by AI.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkatzhr/ Website:  https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Matthew Ferguson accidentally fell into e-commerce nearly 30 years ago, starting with a door-to-door sales job in the Florida sun that quickly went sideways, then landing an office admin role in Deerfield Beach that turned out to be an all-things-e-commerce crash course. Back then eBay ruled, nobody had heard of Amazon, and FBA didn't exist. Today he runs eManage, a UK-based agency that helps businesses replace the duct tape and spreadsheets with real infrastructure and automation, so smart people can spend their time on growth instead of manual busywork.In this conversation, Matthew and Heidi get into what actually moves the needle for growing companies. Matthew reframes technology as a growth driver rather than a support cost, arguing that any tool that isn't helping you sell more or run leaner is either a bad tool or a bad fit. He's candid about cybersecurity, sharing that a partner recently lost a considerable sum to an advanced attack, and warns that with voice cloning, face cloning, and quantum computing on the horizon, no password is truly safe. His father spent two decades in cybersecurity and always said no system is unhackable, it's only a question of prevention and loss limitation.The discussion moves into AI, where Matthew offers a grounded take: most people have barely scratched the surface, the best results come from breaking work into pieces rather than asking AI to do everything at once, and at its core AI is a pattern recognition tool. He also shares a striking prediction about the future of the internet, where AI assistants scan hundreds of pages in seconds and even transact on your behalf, which raises real questions about where pay per click and traditional search optimization go from here.Matthew is refreshingly honest that his agency has thrived not through slick marketing but through word of mouth, long-term relationships, and never being transactional. His advice for founders in the early stages is gold: have something people genuinely want, embrace the chaos of the first six months, learn from your mistakes, ask for help more than you think you should, and surround yourself with people smarter than you. On AEO, he cuts through the noise: it matters, but anyone charging a fortune for it is overcharging, because clean, clear, accurate data is most of the battle.Bio:Nearly 30 years of accidentally making a professional life in ecommerce, starting in Florida and currently still in progress in the UK and Europe.Specializing in no-nonsense advice and proven methods to be successful on 3rd party multi channel marketplaces with SEO, Branding and marketing services.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcaferguson/ Website:  www.emanaged.co.uk Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

What happens when businesses become so focused on efficiency, outsourcing, automation, and AI that they make it harder for customers to reach an actual human?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Stan Salot, CEO of Business and Quality Process Management (BQPM), to explore how business processes, quality management, outsourcing, and AI are reshaping the way companies operate and grow.Stan brings more than 30 years of experience in quality management, supply chain management, international standards, process management, and business consulting. His career has taken him from engineering and component sourcing to implementing ISO 9001 systems, working with international standards organizations, and building long-term client relationships that have lasted decades.One of the central themes of the conversation is the misconception that process creates bureaucracy. Stan explains that the right processes should create value, not simply add cost. The challenge is getting leadership to stop treating quality and process management as an expense and start looking at how they contribute to efficiency, consistency, and revenue.The conversation then takes a fascinating turn toward the rise of the virtual organization. Businesses can now outsource marketing, accounting, manufacturing, sales, and countless other functions. AI can provide answers instantly and help companies accomplish more without adding employees. But there is a tradeoff: sometimes the people who need to communicate with one another can no longer actually reach each other.Stan shares a powerful example of a client attempting to reshore manufacturing to the United States. The process took approximately eight months largely because they couldn't get direct access to the engineers who could answer the technical questions needed to move the project forward.That leads to an important question for today's business leaders:Are we using technology to remove friction, or are we accidentally creating more of it?Stan also discusses the changing role of AI in business development. While AI has made information dramatically easier to access, he believes businesses still need meaningful human interaction when the situation requires expertise, nuance, or relationship-building.And then comes one of the most timely moments in the episode.Stan explains that a law firm recently found him because they asked AI to identify an ISO 9000 expert for an expert-witness matter.The implication is significant:AI is already influencing who gets found.Stan's decades of expertise, reputation, content, and digital presence had positioned him to appear when someone asked AI for a recommendation.This makes the episode especially relevant for businesses thinking about AI search, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), strategic visibility, and how buyers discover experts in 2026.Bio:Stanley H. Salot, Jr.President/CEOBusiness & Quality Process Management, LLCMr. Salot is an acknowledged expert in business, quality, environment, health & safety, and process management and has actively participated in the U.S. and international industry standards bodies.Mr. Salot is the CEO of Business & Quality Process Management, which consults for and trains companies in quality, environmental, and health & safety management processes; hazardous material mitigation and avoidance processes; counterfeit product identification and avoidance; and sound business processes.With his in-depth knowledge of process management, hazardous substance, and counterfeit product mitigation and avoidance, Mr. Salot has held technical and leadership roles in several IECQ and SAE advisory and working groups, including the group which authored and implemented the U.S. standard, EIA/ECCB – 954. Additionally, he served for ten years as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the ECC Corporation.  Working with industry leaders in the electronics industry, Stan organized the Counterfeit Avoidance Mark Alliance (CAMA®) and the Hazardous Substance Free Mark Alliance (HSF Mark®) to provide forums for collaboration and for standard product and process compliance verification.As a published author and speaker, Mr. Salot contributes articles to national and international technical journals. He speaks to audiences worldwide in person, on the radio, and on internet video shows.  Mr. Salot is committed to “helping companies help themselves” succeed with verifiable quality.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085062050900 Website:  https://bqpm.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with George Hayworth, Managing Partner of Advisory Services at Precision Components, a combat veteran and former US Army Field Artillery Officer who continues to serve as an engineer officer in the Army National Guard. George brings a disciplined, high accountability approach to leadership that he now uses to help senior executives find clarity from the loneliest seat in any organization.George opens by drawing a clear line between what he does and what most consultants do. He diagnoses, he does not motivate. Executives carry a million worries and rarely have a neutral person to work through the things they are afraid to admit, and that is the gap he fills. From there the conversation moves into the leadership principle he is most passionate about, which is emotional regulation. George shares candidly that he once struggled with this himself, and that learning to respond rather than react changed everything in both his personal and professional life. A steady, approachable leader lowers the stress of the entire team and sets the tone everyone else emulates.The discussion digs into decisive leadership through a military lens, including the concept of commander's intent and the idea that clarity is kindness. George explains how giving people the task and the purpose while leaving the how up to them builds trust, develops talent, and creates a business that runs while you sleep. He talks about casting vision for team members who cannot yet see their own potential, and about assuming calculated risk so people can learn from their own mistakes.On sales and growth, George stresses knowing exactly who you serve and standing firmly in that identity, because the moment you become something to anyone, you become nothing to everyone. He shares how he separates the sales process from personal identity, why the internet is not real, and how to treat negative feedback as data without letting it touch who you are. The conversation closes with a grounded, practical take on AI as a tool to compress time rather than replace thinking, a look at the shift from SEO to AEO, and George's advice to pick one or two strategies and stay consistent long enough to actually see results.George is offering listeners a complimentary, no strings attached strategy conversation focused on giving senior leaders clarity they can act on immediately.Bio:George Hayworth is the Managing Partner of Advisory Services at Precision Components. He is a combat veteran and former U.S. Army Field Artillery Officer (2011–2016) with a deployment to Afghanistan from 2012-13 in the 101st Airborne Division. He continues his service today as an Engineer Officer in the Army National Guard. His military experience shaped a disciplined, high-accountability approach to leadership under pressure that now informs his work with senior executives.Prior to his career in executive coaching, George spent nearly a decade as a Sales Executive in the global IT services industry, operating in complex, high-stakes enterprise environments. His background spans industrial manufacturing, aviation manufacturing, airlines, logistics, mortgage, and insurance.George brings together battle-tested leadership experience and corporate executive exposure to support leaders navigating growth, complexity, and performance demands.He is a proud husband and father and resides in Tennessee with his wife, Whitney, and their daughter, Rhealynn.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Website:  https://www.precisioncomponentsllc.com/ X:   https://x.com/georgehayworthLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-hayworth/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@george.hayworthIG: https://www.instagram.com/george.hayworth/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@george.hayworth Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Most business owners are already living their values every single day. They treat their people well, they think about their impact, they make decisions that go beyond the bottom line. But they are doing it without proof. In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Tom Hering, founder of Benefit Corporations for Good, to explore what happens when purpose-driven businesses decide to make that commitment official.Tom launched Benefit Corporations for Good in 2018 after spending two acts of his career in the advertising world as a copywriter and creative director across Portland and Seattle. Alongside his co-founder Marianne Harmer, he set out to do something meaningful in his third act, and that led him to the benefit company movement. Today he helps small and mid sized businesses across North America commit to a triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.The conversation digs into why certification matters even when a business is already doing good. Tom explains that third party verification gives owners something a PR campaign never can: credibility, accountability, and a public marker that holds them to their commitments year after year. He shares why this resonates so strongly with Millennial and Gen Z talent who want to work for companies making a difference, and how it becomes a genuine differentiator in a crowded market.Tom also tells the story of a steel fabrication company in Portland led by a 40 under 40 honoree, a business building alternative energy products while training and employing women who have been through the prison system. It is a powerful example of what purpose-driven leadership looks like when values move from intention into practice.Heidi and Tom close on one of the most timely questions in business today: how AI fits into values-driven organizations. Tom shares that he is assembling a panel of AI professionals to help his community navigate authenticity and purpose in an AI world, and his core guidance stays refreshingly simple. Look at your values first, then ask whether the decision syncs up.Bio:Tom’s work is focused on growing the Benefit Company movement in Oregon and throughout North America. When he launched Benefit Corporations for Good (BCFG) in 2018, he realized the positive impact small businesses could have on their employees, their communities and their planet through commitment to a triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit. Currently, BCFG has certified businesses in 13 different states and one Canadian province with the majority of businesses headquartered in Oregon. In June of 2023, Tom received word that the bill he sponsored in the Oregon legislature passed both chambers and headed to Governor Kotek for signing. The bill provides a sustainable advantage to Oregon Benefit Companies seeking a contract through the state's procurement office.Tom has worked as a creative director, copywriter and brand strategist. Before starting his strategic marketing communications firm, he worked for well-regarded agencies in Portland and Seattle as copywriter and creative director. He is the co-author of the book, Putting Soul Into Business: How the Benefit Corporation is Transforming American Business and 25 Building Blocks to Create a Conscientious Organization.Tom is a graduate of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benefit-corporations-for-good Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/bencorpsforgood/ Website:  https://benefitcorporationsforgood.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Mark Bourgeois CEO of Oratium to unpack why so many business presentations fall flat and what it actually takes to communicate in a way that drives decisions. Mark has delivered thousands of presentations and now leads the teams at Oratium who teach, consult, and coach companies like Pfizer, Cisco, Amazon, and Rockwell Automation on the art and science of presenting.The conversation gets straight to the heart of "death by PowerPoint." Mark explains that the problem almost never starts with delivery. It starts with design. Our instincts as presenters lead us to pack in too much information, assume the audience has more mental bandwidth than they do, and make the whole thing about us instead of them. He calls this sender-centricity, and it quietly kills more presentations than any nervous delivery ever could.One of the most valuable ideas Mark shares is retellability. Every high-stakes presentation is really the first of two meetings, because the actual decision gets made later in a room you are not in. If your message is too complicated, too jargon-heavy, or too focused on your own solution, the person in that first meeting simply cannot carry your story into the second one. It becomes a game of telephone, and your message arrives distorted or lost entirely. The result is longer sales cycles, lower win rates, and the same meeting happening over and over.Mark walks through his practical framework for fixing this, the three movement symphony. First, you have a problem that is bigger and more serious than you realize. Second, we know how to solve it and we solve it better than anyone else. Third, here is what working together looks like and here are the next steps. He also shares the rule of one third, which says that in an interactive meeting you should design your content to fit inside a third of the total time so the rest can be spent on genuine discussion.Throughout the episode, Mark drives home that customers rarely buy what you think you are selling. Through a memorable story about a company selling industrial drives to mining operations, he shows how the real value was not the product at all but the promise of asset reliability and thirty minute on-site repair. The lesson is to sell what they are buying, not what you are selling.The conversation closes with a grounded take on AI. Mark cautions against handing your creative voice and original ideas to a machine, since that path leads straight to sounding like everyone else. Instead he recommends using AI from the bottom up, as a quality checker, an editor, a slide-builder, and increasingly as a coach that can simulate real customer conversations. The throughline is simple and freeing: anyone can become an effective presenter, because it was never about being gifted on stage. It is about the design and the story.Bio:CEO Mark has delivered thousands of presentations and now leads teams who teach, consult and coach using methods developed by Oratium. Additionally, he leads teams responsible for revenue development, for operations and for product development and management.Mark's background spans journalism, consulting, finance, and public service. Mark holds a master’s in Public and Private Management from Yale and a bachelor’s from Tulane. He’s also a husband and father of three.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bourgeois-a0440b/ Website:  www.oratium.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Justin Boyhum, founder of Charge Forward, to explore why relationships may be one of the most powerful growth strategies available to business owners.Justin shares how his military background, entrepreneurship journey, and experience navigating business during COVID led him to develop the Force Multiplier Method, a relationship based approach to generating conversations, partnerships, referrals, and revenue.The conversation covers how to use LinkedIn as a relationship building platform rather than simply a content publishing tool, why vanity metrics can distract from meaningful growth, how strategic partnerships can create exponential opportunities, and why AI should support human connection rather than replace it.Justin also shares real examples of businesses generating significant revenue through strategic partnerships and explains how entrepreneurs can stop trying to do everything themselves and start leveraging the networks and audiences that already exist.A key takeaway from this conversation is simple: you may not need more leads. You may need the right relationships.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinboyum/Website:  https://thechargeforward.com/https://ezlinkedintraffic.com/bgsConnect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Michael J. Becker, founder of Identity Praxis, educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic leader who has spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology reshapes the way we work, think, and connect. His work centers on a vital shift: moving organizations away from transactional thinking, where people and data are treated as one-off numbers, and toward relational approaches built on genuine trust and lasting connection.Michael walks through the four pillars of what he calls relational technology architecture: artificial intelligence, identity and data sovereignty, knowledge management, and engagement. He unpacks the difference between deterministic, generative, and agentic AI, and explains why human agency and sovereignty matter more than ever as autonomous agents begin acting on our behalf. Along the way he shares a chilling real-world example of an AI agent that erased a company's entire production database and every backup in a matter of seconds.The conversation moves into what all of this means for how businesses reach people. Michael explains the coming shift from the traditional purchase funnel to relationship journeys, the rise of RCS messaging, the emergence of self-sovereign identity and "MyTerms" protocols, and why the connected individual has become the point of sale. He and Heidi also dig into the growing reality that buyers now research and get recommendations through AI rather than traditional search, why that makes findability and recommendability essential, and how to use AI in content without losing the human voice that earns trust.This is a wide-ranging, forward-looking conversation that every business leader needs to hear, because the infrastructure underneath how we connect, communicate, and conduct commerce is already changing beneath our feet.Bio:Hi, I’m Dr. Michael J. Becker. My work focuses on a simple, yet vital shift: moving organizations away from 'transactional' thinking—where people and data are treated like one-off numbers to be processed—and toward 'relational' approaches that build genuine trust and lasting connections.In today's complex world, I help leaders and teams clear the noise, manage their information better, and make decisions that actually lead to meaningful results. As the founder of Identity Praxis, an educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic advisor, I’ve spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology changes the way we work, think, and solve problems together.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaeljbecker/ Website:  www.identitypraxis.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:Most business owners chase the next shiny AI tool while the real growth killers sit hidden in plain sight. In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Darrell Gunter, strategic management consultant and host of Leadership with Darrell W. Gunter, to talk about the friction points quietly slowing your business down and why the tried-and-true fundamentals still outperform every trend.With more than 25 years building high-performing teams and scaling organizations from startups to billion-dollar companies, Darrell breaks down where growth actually stalls. He walks through the critical path from prospect to invoice, the friction points that live along the way, and why sometimes the person creating the friction is the leader. He makes the case that vision, mission, current job descriptions, and real performance reviews are not busywork, they are the foundation most companies skip.The conversation moves into AI as a behavioral and mindset shift rather than an IT project, and why leaders who hand it off entirely are missing the point. Darrell shares how he uses AI for analysis, prospecting, and competitive intelligence, and offers a grounded reframe for teams resisting change: it is not that you don't have time, it is where you are choosing to spend it.He also opens up about his own growth edge right now, protecting his time. After spreading himself across five nonprofit boards, he is learning to choose one opportunity out of ten, and explains why saying no is a growth strategy. Plus, his consultative outreach method that lands the meeting every time, why he skips mass mailing and drip campaigns, and a look at his new venture, Pubs 21, a professional information platform built on AI and blockchain.Bio:Darrell W. Gunter is a strategic management consultant, executive advisor, and media host with more than 25 years of experience building high-performing teams and scaling growth-oriented organizations. He specializes in the intersection of strategy, business ideation, and commercialization—operating on the principle that sustainable business growth is achieved when all three are tightly aligned. Darrell works with executives, boards, and founders to drive clarity, execution, and measurable outcomes, and he is also the host of *Leadership with Darrell W. Gunter*, where he explores leadership, innovation, and enterprise transformation.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellwgunter/Website:  https://www.guntermediagroup.com/ Podbean - https://bit.ly/LeadershipDWGunterYouTube - https://bit.ly/LwDWGYouTube2Broadcasts Sunday 8 am ET wsou.net /iheartPodbean 370+ shows -  https://bit.ly/LeadershipDWGunterYouTube 40+ shows more to be uploaded - https://bit.ly/LwDWGunterYTSeton Hall Univ. WSOU 89.5 FM / wsou.net 8 am EST Sundays Text:  973.454.3475Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Julien Recoussine, founder and managing partner of Sales Fixx and the self described "sales samurai." Julien reframes selling as an act of service rather than confrontation, drawing on the origin of the word samurai, which stems from service rather than warfare. The conversation moves through the neuroscience of buying decisions, why trust drives roughly seventy percent of the decision before a single product detail is mentioned, and why great salespeople sort rather than convince.Julien breaks down the pain versus gain equation that governs human decision making, explaining that people default to avoiding pain seventy percent of the time and lean toward risk avoidance ninety percent of the time when the two forces are matched. He shares why most sales teams are trained ninety percent on product knowledge and almost nothing on the psychology of human to human interaction, and how that gap quietly limits growth.The discussion turns to AI and its proper place in the modern sales process. Julien is candid about where AI creates real value, in research, lead vetting, content drafting, and freeing reps to focus on the human moments that actually close deals, and where it is being badly misused as a bigger shovel digging faster in the wrong spot. Heidi and Julien explore Answer Engine Optimization, the growing importance of being recommended by AI platforms, and why trust remains the one thing technology cannot replace. Julien closes with a message to salespeople everywhere that selling is a learnable skill rooted in understanding how humans make decisions, and that manipulation is acceptable only when the intent is to reach an honest yes or no.Bio:L. Julien Recoussine is the founder and managing partner of Sales Fix, a management consulting firm specializing in sales training and coaching. Sales Fix helps salespeople and companies improve their sales conversations, with a focus on clear and concise communication — minimizing time spent on uncommitted prospects while increasing sales through genuine understanding of customer needs, finding common ground, creating interest, and providing value. Born in France and raised internationally across Europe and the Americas, Recoussine holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Miami (1993) and brings experience from previous roles at notable companies including Amazon, Groupon, TruGreen, and Entertainment Publications, Inc. Affectionally referred to as a "Sales Samurai,"  Recoussine is dedicated to serving sales professionals to cut through selling obstacles using strategy and sales science. He is the host of The Sales Fix Podcast, where he guides listeners toward better client conversations and a smarter strategic approach to selling — drawing on psychology, science, and the art of human connection to elevate sales performance.Colleagues and clients describe Recoussine as "the most dynamic and passionate sales coach" they've worked with — someone who diagnoses challenges and revenue opportunities quickly, designs gap-closing strategies, and drives measurable results. A recognized voice in the local business community, Recoussine was recently selected to present at Florida State University Panama City's Leadership Strategies event, sharing his expertise in a TED Talk format alongside other Bay County entrepreneursTo connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienrecoussine/X:  https://x.com/SalesFixxYouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@salesfixinc9019Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-3239562AI Julien:  https://persona.yoorz.ai/expert/ai-julien Website:  www.salesfixx.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:What does it take to leave behind a successful career, move to a new country without a concrete plan, and build a company that helps startups expand across continents?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Yousra Gaballah, founder of Sprintly Partners, to discuss how she transformed uncertainty into opportunity. Originally from Egypt, Yousra shares her remarkable journey through leadership roles at Careem, Amazon, and the startup ecosystem before launching a company dedicated to helping founders bridge the gap between the Middle East and the United States.The conversation explores international expansion, startup growth, operational scaling, AI implementation, fundraising, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world. Yousra also shares practical advice for founders looking to scale beyond their home markets and explains why sometimes you have to start before you're ready.Bio:Yousra Gaballah is the Founder and CEO of Sprintly Partners, a Silicon Valley-based firm bridging the Middle East and Silicon Valley ecosystems. Through Sprintly, she supports Middle Eastern founders expanding into the U.S. market, as well as U.S. founders and companies looking to unlock opportunities across the Middle East.Yousra’s work sits at the intersection of growth, market expansion, investor readiness, and ecosystem building. She has led and supported multiple cross-border programs connecting MENA founders with Silicon Valley investors, accelerators, mentors, and corporate partners, working with ecosystem players such as Techstars, Plug and Play, 500 Global, Monsha’at in Saudi Arabia, Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, and other regional partners. Through these programs, she has helped founders access U.S. networks, secure investments, and build stronger expansion and fundraising pathways.Before founding Sprintly Partners, Yousra spent over a decade working across growth, product, and market expansion roles in the Middle East and the U.S. She contributed to regional expansion and logistics growth initiatives at Amazon across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, and worked on market growth for Careem across North Africa prior and during the acquisition by Uber. She has also supported startups across logistics, e-learning, and content in scaling regionally.Earlier in her career, Yousra worked on mobile internet growth and customer value management in the telecom sector with Vodafone and Etisalat, where she focused on user growth, engagement, retention, and data-driven commercial strategy.Yousra also mentors founders across both ecosystems, including through Techstars and Plug and Play in the U.S., and regional programs across the Middle East in KAUST & Monsha'at. She studied Economics and Political Economy at the American University in Cairo, with additional academic experience in the U.S. at UC Berkeley and the University of Washington in Seattle.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousra-gaballah-328a034a/ Website:  www.sprintlypartners.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk welcomes Larry Stybel of Stybel Peabody Associates, a serial entrepreneur, psychologist, entrepreneur in residence at a private equity firm, and monthly contributor to Psychology Today. Larry helps companies achieve higher net income and higher perceived institutional trust through C suite coaching, retained board search, and family business succession work.Larry unpacks what he calls the AI paradox. As AI makes analytical thinking a commodity and products harder to differentiate, it is also fueling a historic rise in mistrust. His argument is that perceived institutional trust, measured yearly against your competitors, becomes the real differentiator, and boards will be focused on it within three to five years even if they are not today. He walks through simple ways to measure it, including the customer loyalty index applied internally with one honest question.Using the story of Nokia, Blackberry, and Apple, Larry illustrates the leadership blind spot he sees most in 2026. When companies run at 120 miles an hour, peripheral vision disappears, and they miss the side threats and opportunities that decide their future. He makes the case for spending one day a year looking sideways, for hiring leaders high in openness to new ideas, and for treating growth like a researcher testing hypotheses rather than selling a magic bullet. He also shares how AI note taking lets him be more present and empathetic with clients and patients.Bio:Larry is a serial entrepreneur, entrepreneur-in-residence at a private equity firm, and a regular monthly contributor to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.  He works with companies interested in achieving a higher level of net income AND a higher level of perceived institutional trust.  Core services revolve around the measurement of perceived institutional trust, C-Suite leadership coaching, and retained search for Board Directors.  Larry has specific expertise in working with family businesses facing complex leadership succession.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstybel Website:  www.stybelpeabody.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Chris White, founder of the Clarity Business Academy, serial SaaS entrepreneur, author, and certified storyteller. Chris shares why most businesses don't fail from a lack of ambition or effort but from a lack of true clarity, and he breaks down the three pillars every organization needs: identity clarity, priority clarity, and directional clarity. When those pillars align at the executive level, that clarity can flow through the entire organization and get everyone rowing in the same direction.Chris also opens up about his personal journey through decades of physical adversity, starting with a drunk driving accident at 18, and what he learned when grit finally hit its ceiling. He explains how grace, humility, and support carried him where willpower could not, and why vulnerability became his real breakthrough as a leader. Along the way he covers building a referral-based practice through old school hustle, why AI is something every founder must embrace with a strategy rather than fear, and how the right systems let one of his clients step away for medical treatment without worry after twelve years of working together.His parting truth says it all. Clarity isn't a feeling, it's a strategy. Grab his new book, the Clarity Playbook, on Amazon, and connect with Chris on LinkedIn or at ClarityPlaybook.io.Bio: I specialize in helping entrepreneurial business owners and leadership teams break through growth ceilings by providing the clarity, tools, and strategies needed to scale sustainably and confidently. With over 30 years of experience as an 7X entrepreneur, author, and seasoned coach, my mission is clear: to transform overwhelmed and frustrated business owners into empowered, focused, and thriving leaders.As an original expert EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer and co-founder of successful platforms such as Ninety.io and Profit First App, I've coached over 1,500 business owners, executives, and managers through more than 500 sessions. My clients regularly achieve clarity in their identity, direction, and priorities—essential elements that drive sustained growth, stronger team alignment, and increased profitability.Recognizing the limitations many companies face after initial success with EOS, I developed the Clarity Business Academy and ClarityOS methodology—next-generation frameworks designed specifically for businesses that have hit growth ceilings and seek deeper, more actionable strategies. My approach integrates proven methods from renowned leadership models and my published works, including "The Clarity Field Guide" and "The Clarity Playbook."To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/coach-chris-white Website:   www.clarityplaybook.io Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:What happens when 50 years of engineering experience meets today's AI tools?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Joel Shertok, founder of Process Industries Consultants, to discuss the hidden operational issues that quietly drain profitability and how businesses can solve them without always spending millions on new equipment.After spending decades helping manufacturers scale production, troubleshoot failing processes, and improve plant efficiency, Joel launched his consulting business following his corporate career. Today he helps companies solve complex manufacturing problems while embracing modern tools like AI to dramatically speed up research, analysis, and decision making.The conversation explores why operational excellence is often overlooked, how AI is transforming engineering, why traditional marketing has changed for consultants, and what leaders should focus on before chasing the latest technology.Bio:I help senior leaders de-risk growth, protect EBITDA, and move lab and plant assets into profitable production faster—so delaying work with you has a clear and escalating cost in lost margin and strategic optionality.​  When a process problem is costing you margin or delaying commercialization, waiting is usually the most expensive option.In today’s uncertain environment, many companies are holding off on addressing these issues — even when they are clearly impacting yield, throughput, or time-to-market. That delay creates hidden, ongoing losses. This is where I come in. I don’t operate as a traditional consultant. I step in as part of your technical team, take ownership of the problem, and stay with it until it’s solved. To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelshertok/Website:  Process Industries Consultants | | Achieve Growth in your Business 📞 302-562-9759 Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:From Wrong Number to Global Business Growth With Heather RobertsWhat happens when a wrong number becomes your biggest business opportunity?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Heather Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of RSG Sales, to share one of the most unexpected entrepreneurial journeys you'll hear. What started with a misdialed landline call from a Canadian furniture company grew into a global ecommerce consulting firm that helps brands expand into nearly every major online retailer except Amazon.Heather shares how she went from being a stay at home parent for 12 years to leading an international company and then intentionally designing it so she only works two to three hours each week. She explains how building systems, empowering leaders, and staying relentlessly focused on what works allowed her to step away from day to day operations without sacrificing growth.The conversation explores why consistency beats constant reinvention, how YouTube became their largest lead generation engine with more than 100 million views, and why most entrepreneurs quit repeating their message long before their audience has heard it enough.Heather also introduces the principles behind her new book, The Nurture Method, comparing the stages of growing a business to raising children. It's a practical framework that helps founders understand when to nurture, when to delegate, and when to let their business grow beyond them.If you're building a company that can scale without depending on you every hour of every day, this episode delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately.Bio*Heather Roberts is the co-founder of RSG Sales, an e-commerce growth firm helping suppliers around the world grown and scale across major online retailers including Wayfair, Walmart, Best Buy, Lowe's, and Home Depot. With more than two decades of operating experience, she oversees revenue architecture, operational systems, pricing discipline, and scalability — building businesses that grow efficiently without unnecessary complexity.Her track record speaks for itself. She founded and exited E by Design, scaling it to multi-million-dollar revenue and becoming a Top 5 pillow supplier at Wayfair within three and a half years of launch. She later served as Interim President of Bunny Williams Home, increasing sales 20% and doubling gross margin during a leadership transition.That real-world operating experience is what grounds her deeper work — and the question she's spent her career trying to answer: How do you build a business that doesn't require you to abandon your life?That question led her to create The Nurture Method™ and her Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling book of the same name — a framework for building businesses the way women actually build lives: in seasons, alongside family, with constraints, ambition, and evolving identity.Heather is based in Davidson, North Carolina, and writes Now What, Y'all, a Substack newsletter for accomplished women ready to build what's next — on their own terms.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersroberts/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@RSGSALESHeather’s website: www.heatherroberts.life RGS Website:  www.rsgsales.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Burke Franklin, founder of Business Power Tools, for a conversation about what it really takes to turn an idea into a viable business. Burke shares the origin story behind his business planning platform, born from his own frustration with the daunting process of writing plans, and now supercharged with AI that does in seconds what once took weeks of research.The heart of the conversation lands on a truth most founders miss: you often do not need to raise capital first. Burke walks through his "bootstrap before you beg for money" philosophy with unforgettable examples, including two jet pilots who acquired two Learjets for zero dollars using nothing but a smart business plan and a creative deal structure. He explains why investors bet on the jockey, not just the horse, and why a plan is really a catalog of answers to the questions investors will inevitably ask.Burke and Heidi also dig into the AI backlash happening right now, why companies that fired their teams are scrambling to hire them back, and why the human behind the business matters more than ever. From the "missionary versus mercenary" balance every founder needs, to keeping yourself in the loop rather than setting AI on autopilot, this episode is packed with hard earned wisdom for anyone thinking about starting, scaling, or selling a business.Whether you are an inventor holding tight to your baby, a mid journey founder ready to get serious, or someone planning their escape from the nine to five, this conversation will give you clarity on your next move.Bio:Burke Franklin created BusinessPowerTools.com, best known for BizPlanBuilder®, the original business planning software that helps smart entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses through an online platform, giving them the confidence to take the right actions to get things done, from starting to bootstrapping, funding, and ultimately selling it.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burkefranklin/ Website:  https://www.BusinessPowerTools.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:What actually makes a brand work in a new country, and why do so many get it wrong?On this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk talks with Jan Harling, Founder and CEO of Virtus Asia, about the gap between companies that cross borders well and the ones that stall out the moment they leave home.Jan has spent close to twenty years running international marketing for Huawei, Oppo, and OnePlus, and he brings that experience to a conversation covering localization, global branding, AI, media strategy, and the reason customer behavior deserves more of your attention than it usually gets.If international expansion is on your roadmap, or you just want people to notice your brand, there is a lot here worth taking notes on.Bio:Originally from Germany, Jan has spent over 20 years in Asia (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Bangkok). He is a seasoned expert in communication and marketing and has had local, regional and global roles in both international 4A agencies as well as on the client side (Global Media Investment Director at Huawei, Global Media Director at OPPO, Regional Director for Brand Media and Performance at foodpanda). He is passionate about insights, creativity, strategy and innovation and specializes in driving measurable business results through strategic campaigns and effective leadership. He successfully developed and implemented holistic data driven campaigns for world leading brands of various industries throughout China, Asia Pacific and Western Europe.Fluent in English, German, conversational in Mandarin Chinese and equipped with an MBA. As a respected industry expert, Jan is a regular industry panellist and judge for distinguished global, regional and local and marketing awards.Since 2023 Jan leads Virtus Asia Consulting as the CEO aiming to become the partner, he always wanted to have.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janharling/ Website:  www.virtusasia.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:   https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:Brilliant science is not enough to build a successful company.Many life science startups develop groundbreaking products, yet struggle to gain traction because they focus on the technology instead of the customer's problem.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Eric Reese, CEO and Co Founder of Forever North Partners, to discuss what it really takes to commercialize innovation, build customer focused organizations, create high performing teams, and use AI to strengthen people instead of replacing them.Dr. Reese brings decades of experience in life sciences, sales, marketing, and commercialization. Together they explore why many startups fail to connect with buyers, how leaders can build stronger cultures, and why human relationships remain the greatest competitive advantage in an AI driven world.If you're building a business, leading a team, or bringing a new product to market, this episode is full of practical lessons that apply far beyond the life sciences industry.About Dr Eric ReeseDr. Eric Reese is the CEO and Co Founder of Forever North Partners, a commercialization and business strategy firm serving life science companies. His background spans scientific research, sales leadership, marketing, executive leadership, and business growth.Forever North Partners helps organizations navigate commercialization, sales strategy, marketing, operational support, and business growth while providing customized solutions based on each company's stage and goals.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-l-reese-ph-d-52532518/ Website:  Forever North Partners Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Briefing all about Visibility and Business Growth:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:What separates founders who struggle to win customers from those who build predictable revenue?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Simon Gerstler, founder of Pipe Global and author of Selling Smarter. After building and successfully exiting two technology companies, Simon now helps founders and sales teams create repeatable sales systems that drive sustainable growth.If you've ever wondered how to get your first customers, improve your sales conversations, or use AI without losing the human connection, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately.Bio:Simon Gerstler is the founder of Pipe Global and has helped over 250 tech companies improve how they sell. After building and exiting two tech businesses, he now works with founders, CEOs, and sales teams to sharpen their go-to-market strategy and close more deals. Simon is the creator of the “Selling Smarter” methodology. He also coaches sales leaders, delivers workshops for startups and global companies, and shares daily sales insights with a LinkedIn community of over 30,000 followers.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simongerstler Website:  https://sellingsmarter.co/Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Briefing all about Visibility and AEO:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:What if the antidote to workplace burnout is not another wellness program but play itself? In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Steve Rix, founder of Play Lab, whose life changed on a Hawaiian beach when two kids asked a depressed stranger a simple question: "Hey mister, you want to play?"After losing over 100 million dollars, surviving two failed marriages, and passing on early opportunities in Uber and Bitcoin, Steve rebuilt his life around one mission: happy, healthy humans everywhere. Today Play Lab helps companies from 100 to 100,000 employees fight burnout, which Gallup says will directly or indirectly affect 83 percent of people in the coming years.Steve breaks down the five states of play, why happy employees are your most productive employees, and how Play Lab gathers more honest workplace data through a murder mystery game than any traditional engagement survey ever could. He also shares how AI is expanding his reach on LinkedIn without losing his voice, the messaging mistake that cost him years of sales momentum, and why giving value first has stacked his pipeline with companies saying yes.Bio:Steve Rix, CEO of Playlab, has dedicated his life to becoming a Human Capital Wizard: He believes investing in the mental well being of people is the most important mandate of the coming years.Steve has spent three decades honing his skills as an expert in employee engagement. From start-ups to fortune 100 companies, Steve has provided coaching and consulting to help teams perform at their highest levels. Through the ebbs and flows of his own entrepreneurial journey, he has provided invaluable insight to corporate leadership, organizational health, and cultural vitality.Ten years ago Steve began experimenting with play in the workplace as the highest state of effectiveness and efficiency. From coaching and consulting, to focus groups and beta testing, over 1000 clients, Steve has worked with teams to dynamically change the workplaceToday, Millennials and Gen Z are demanding that employers treat the workplace like an experience that invests in the wellbeing of the humans at work. One that honors people over profits, will ultimately prove to be a win for all involved. If companies want to win the battle of attrition, the culture they build must create real value and connection for the future of their workforce and they must do it now.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/steverix/  IG - @rixsteveWebsite:  www.experimentwithplay.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Briefing all about the Future of  Visibility: https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:Most business owners don't struggle because they lack ambition. They struggle because they've unknowingly become the biggest obstacle to their company's growth.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Cary Prejean, CPA and founder of Strategic Business Advisors, to discuss why entrepreneurs often hit a growth ceiling and what it takes to build a business that runs without depending on the owner every day.Cary shares the practical systems he has developed over decades of advising businesses between $5 million and $35 million in revenue. From process optimization and financial dashboards to leadership transitions and AI adoption, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for business owners ready to scale.One of the standout stories features an ecommerce company that grew from $5.8 million to nearly $21 million in revenue before being sold at an impressive 13 times EBITDA, leaving the owners with an eight figure exit after taxes.If you're working eighty hour weeks, constantly putting out fires, or wondering why your business cannot seem to grow without you, this episode will give you a roadmap for creating a more valuable, profitable, and sustainable company.Bio:With a background in accounting and a CPA certificate, Cary Prejean started consulting with businesses as a fractional CFO in 1987.  Over the last 40 years, Cary has helped hundreds of businesses increase their profits and cash flow, streamline for efficiency with systemization, provide actionable financial data in real time and design the future business through strategic planning.  He is also a certified Ontological Coach and a certified partner with Predictive Index talent optimization strategies.His clients have included businesses such as manufacturers, construction firms, wholesalers, e-commerce, law firms, physical therapy clinics, retail chains, and a three masted sailing ship company offering sailing tours of Seattle harbor.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryprejean/ Website:  https://strategicbusinessadvisors.org/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Briefing all about Visibility and AEO:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:Building a Business That Outlasts You with Jay Shorr and Cristian DevozWhat does it take to build a business that continues to thrive long after the founder steps away?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Jay Shorr, founder of Shorr Solutions, and Cristian Devoz, partner at the firm, for a powerful conversation about leadership, mentorship, succession planning, business systems, AI, and building a legacy that changes lives.Jay shares the deeply personal story that shaped the growth of Shorr Solutions, including how the loss of his wife inspired him to fully dedicate himself to helping medical practices avoid costly business mistakes. He also explains why he chose to gift ownership to his team instead of selling his company, creating a succession plan built on trust, loyalty, and long term success.Cristian shares his remarkable journey from working an event as a temporary staff member to becoming Jay's mentee, business partner, and future leader of the company. His story is a powerful reminder that opportunities often come to those who stay curious, remain open, and are willing to take action.Together they discuss the biggest mistakes medical practices make, why strong systems and culture matter more than most leaders realize, how AI is changing business visibility, and why relationships will always remain the greatest competitive advantage.Jay's Bio:Jay A. Shorr, BA, MBM-C, CAC I-XVI is the Founder and CEO of Shorr Solutions, a national and award-winning consulting firm assisting aesthetic practices with their operational, administrative and financial health. He served as the Vice President of Operations and Practice Administrator for a leading board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in South Florida, and has previously held partnerships in two leading South Florida plastic surgery centers. Jay served as the only non-medical appointee on the Scientific Advisory Board for The Aesthetic Show from 2017 to 2023, and led Shorr Solutions to win The Aesthetic Guide’s prestigious 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025 Best Practice Management Company Awards. In 2023, Jay was formally appointed to the IMCAS International Academic Scientific Advisory Board in the Marketing & Professional Business theme.A veteran in the conference lecture circuit, Jay led Shorr Solutions to win the 2017 to 2025 Top Aesthetic Service Provider Awards from Aesthetic Everything, the largest network of aesthetic professionals in the world, and serves as an international expert speaker for nearly a dozen aesthetic industry organizations every year. As a trusted professional, Jay shares his knowledge as an author for multiple industry publications, and in 2021, won The Aesthetic Guide’s highly distinguished and highly esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award. Jay’s award-worthy accomplishments didn’t stop there. In 2024, Jay won Aesthetic Everything’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice Management and Philanthropy. This prestigious and distinguished award highlighted and celebrated Jay’s noteworthy lifetime achievements and dedication to the advancement of the aesthetic industry as well as his local community.From 2011-2012, Jay served as an advisory board member for the NHL Florida Panthers and as of 2024 he serves on the board of directors for the Memorial Foundation and Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. Jay retired in January 2026 as an adjunct faculty member at Florida Atlantic University teaching a Medical Business Management course in the College of Executive Education. Awards in the Aesthetic and Surgical Vertical:Informa Markets (THE Aesthetic Show and THE Aesthetic Guide)National Practice Management Company of the Year 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025     Lifetime Achievement Award – 2021 – first non-physician to win this awardAesthetic EverythingTop CEO in Consulting – 2018 – 2025Lifetime Achievement Award - 2024 for Education - only non-physician to win this awardLifetime Achievement Award –2025 for Philanthropy - only non-physician to win this awardBoard of Director for Memorial Hospital and Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital FoundationFlorida Panthers NHL Hockey – Prior Advisory Board MemberFlorida Atlantic University – Boca Raton, FL. – Adjunct Faculty for Medical Business Management in the College of Executive Education – (Retired) January 2019 – 2026Lecturer and Key Opinion Leader specializing and lecturing on Safety, Health, Security, Fraud and EmbezzlementCristian Devoz Bio:Cristian Devoz is a Partner and Senior Client Success Manager at Shorr Solutions, where he supports aesthetic and medical practices with financial analysis, business planning, staff training, and customized practice management tools.Since joining Shorr Solutions nearly four years ago, Cristian has grown through several roles within the company, including Student Marketing Intern, Business Development Analyst, and Client Success Manager. In January 2025, he became a Partner, a milestone that reflects his continued growth, leadership, and impact within the organization.In his current role, Cristian works closely with practice owners and their teams to review P&Ls, develop business plans, build lead management and compensation tools, and improve front-office performance. He also trains practice teams on phone skills, patient communication, lead conversion, and operational best practices.Cristian brings a well-rounded perspective to his work, shaped by his background as an English instructor, personal fitness trainer, medical interpreter, and supervisor of a medical interpreter team. These experiences have strengthened his ability to communicate clearly, train effectively, and support teams with professionalism and care.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-shorr/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristian-devoz-369935181/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shorrsolutions/ Website:  www.shorrsolutions.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Briefing all about Visibility and AEO:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:As AI transforms marketing at an incredible pace, many businesses are asking the same question.How do you embrace automation without losing the human connection that customers actually value?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Jared Harman, Founder of One Group Agency, to explore how successful brands balance technology with authentic relationships. From branding and content creation to AI adoption and business growth, Jared shares practical lessons learned while growing his agency through referrals, customer service, and a willingness to adapt.This conversation is a refreshing reminder that while tools will continue to evolve, trust remains one of the most valuable assets a business can build.Bio:Jared Harman is the CEO & Co-Founder of The One Group Agency, a full-service marketing agency based in British Columbia. Since launching in 2018, he has led the company’s growth from a startup into a multi-faceted agency through strategic expansion and acquisitions. Jared is known for his hands-on leadership style, focus on team performance, and ability to deliver measurable marketing outcomes for brands across North America.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jaredharman/ Website:  www.onegroupagency.ca Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Executive Briefing all about Visibility and AEO:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:Great Businesses Plan for Success Before They Need ToFeaturing Ted Beringer, Chris Beringer, and Eric Beringer of The Beringer GroupOne of the most rewarding parts of hosting Business Growth Spotlight is watching businesses evolve. That's why this episode is especially meaningful.Ted Beringer was one of our earliest guests, and now he returns with the next generation of leadership, Chris and Eric Beringer, for a conversation about what it really takes to build a business that lasts.The discussion goes far beyond succession planning. It explores family dynamics, governance, AI, leadership transitions, business valuation, and why many successful companies unknowingly carry risks that could threaten everything they've built.Whether you're planning to sell your company, pass it to the next generation, or simply want to protect what you've created, this episode offers practical insights every business owner should hear.Bio:Ted Beringer, FounderTed founded The Mid-Atlantic Companies, Ltd. in 1979 with the mission of serving the financial needs of private and closely held business owners and their families. Mid-Atlantic grew to become a national firm with more than 100 employees and offices throughout the United States. In 1998 Mid-Atlantic's operations were acquired by First Union Corporation (now Wells Fargo.)  In early 2000, Ted, his family, and a few select partners established The Beringer Group, a company providing business owners with transition, corporate development, and liquidity options. He specializes in the “keep/sell” discussion and its impact on the family business. Ted is a graduate of the University of Buffalo and holds a Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma.Chris Beringer, PresidentChris has extensive experience advising high net worth families establishing family offices and/or family investment companies, in regard to feasibility, design, staffing, transitioning and IT operations.Eric Beringer, Client Relations Consultant Eric excels in nurturing and maintaining strong relationships with clients. With more than twenty years of experience in this field, Eric ensures that clients receive exceptional service and support. Eric graduated from the University of Colorado.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theberingergroup/ YouTube:  youtube.com/@TheBeringerGroup?feature=shared Website:  www.theberingergroup.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Executive Briefing all about Visibility and AEO:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:AI Is Changing More Than Search. It's Changing How Customers Buy.Featuring Kim Reynolds, Co-Founder of AI Advantage AgencyAI isn't just helping people search faster. It's beginning to make purchasing decisions on their behalf.In this eye opening conversation, Heidi sits down with Kim Reynolds, Co Founder of AI Advantage Agency, to discuss what many businesses are still overlooking about AI visibility, answer engine optimization, agentic commerce, paid advertising, and the future of customer acquisition.Kim shares practical strategies businesses can implement today while explaining why waiting another year could make it much harder to compete.If you've been wondering how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI experiences will impact your business, this episode is your roadmap.Bio:Kimberly Reynolds is a seasoned digital strategist and the co-founder of AI Advantage Agency. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she specializes in transitioning brands from traditional search models to Agentic Commerce and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyannreynolds/,Company LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-advantage-agency/X:   x.com/kimreynolds, x.com/aiadvantage Website:  https://aiadvantageagency.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Executive Briefing all about Visibility and AEO with Heidi Schalk and Kim Reynolds:  https://becomeairecommended.com/future-of-visibility 

Show Notes:Having a great business strategy is only the beginning. The real challenge is making sure it gets implemented.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Tara Landes, Founder of Bellrock, to discuss why so many businesses struggle with execution, how leadership and management differ, and why investing in managers is one of the highest ROI decisions a growing company can make.Drawing from nearly two decades of helping organizations scale, Tara shares practical advice on creating clarity, building systems that support growth, developing future leaders, and using AI as a thinking partner without losing the human element.The conversation also explores why implementation often fails, how founders can successfully remove themselves from day to day operations, and why authentic expertise is becoming more valuable than ever in the age of AI.Whether you're leading a team of ten or scaling toward one hundred employees, this episode is filled with actionable insights you can implement immediately.Bio:For over 25 years, Tara Landes has helped more than 300 small business leaders solve complex operational challenges through strategic planning and implementation of those plans. A certified Change Management Practitioner (Prosci), a Licensed Influence Trainer (Cialdini Institute), she leads Bellrock’s management training programs and has guided hundreds of managers to greater confidence and capability.Tara has spoken for TEC Canada, MacKay CEO Forums, Engineers and Geoscientists BC, and The Buildings Show. She holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. When not working with clients, she’s often aboard a boat in BC’s Gulf Islands, reading while her family hauls in prawns and crab.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/taralandesBellrock LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellrock-benchmarking-inc-/ Website:  https://bellrock.ca/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁A Complimentary 60-Minute Executive Briefing for Business Owners, CEOs, Consultants, Agencies, and Service-Based Organizations:  https://becomeairecommended.com/

Show Notes:Expanding into the United States is one of the biggest growth opportunities for international companies, but it is also one of the most misunderstood.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Matt DiMarsico, Co Founder of USA LaunchingPad, to discuss why many successful international businesses struggle when entering the US market and what they can do differently to accelerate growth.Drawing from more than two decades of experience building and scaling disruptive technology companies, Matt shares the strategies that help startups and scaleups validate product market fit, refine their messaging, leverage AI effectively, and build scalable go to market systems that actually work in the United States.The conversation also explores how AI is changing business development, why strategic planning still matters more than speed, and why authentic human relationships remain one of the greatest competitive advantages in today's marketplace.Bio:Matt DiMarsico is the Co-Founder of USA Launching Pad, a market expansion and go-to-market advisory firm that helps international startups and scale-ups successfully enter and grow in the U.S. market. With more than 20 years of experience leading revenue growth, sales transformation, and global expansion initiatives across AI, SaaS, IoT, telecom, and emerging technology companies, Matt has held executive leadership roles including Chief Revenue Officer and Senior Vice President for high-growth and enterprise technology organizations. Through USA Launching Pad, he works with founders, accelerators, economic development organizations, and innovation ecosystems worldwide to help companies validate product-market fit, refine go-to-market strategy, build demand generation systems, and reduce the risk of international expansion. Matt is also actively exploring how AI and automation are transforming modern sales, market intelligence, and business growth strategies.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdimarsico/ Website:  www.usalaunchingpad.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁A Complimentary 60-Minute Executive Briefing for Business Owners, CEOs, Consultants, Agencies, and Service-Based Organizations:  https://becomeairecommended.com/

Show Notes:What if the biggest factor impacting your team's performance isn't strategy, technology, or processes, but energy?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Lori Palm, Founder and CEO of Core Passion, to explore how understanding human energy can transform leadership, communication, hiring, and organizational culture.With more than 30 years of experience helping leaders uncover what truly motivates people, Lori explains how measuring passion and identifying individual strengths creates stronger teams, better communication, and higher performance.The conversation also dives into one of today's biggest business questions: How can leaders embrace AI without losing the human connection that builds trust?Whether you lead a growing company, manage a team, or simply want to understand yourself better, this episode offers practical insights that can immediately improve the way you communicate and lead.Bio:Lori Palm is a visionary business strategist and the creator of the Core Passion® Assessment, a groundbreaking online tool she launched in 2003 to help people understand what truly drives their performance. For more than two decades, she’s guided leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to communicate more authentically, build stronger partnerships, and align their work with their core motivations.Blending intuitive intelligence with practical business insight, Lori helps organizations cut through complexity, elevate engagement, and create cultures where people thrive. She brings a calm, grounded presence and a gift for turning human dynamics into clear, actionable pathways for growth.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loripalm/      Instagram:  https;//www.instagram.com/loripalm11/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@corepassion7110 Website:  https://corepassion.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Join us for a Complimentary 60-Minute Executive Briefing for Business Owners, CEOs, Consultants, Agencies, and Service-Based Organizations:  https://becomeairecommended.com/ https://becomeairecommended.com/

Show Notes:In Part Two of this conversation, Heidi Schalk welcomes back Vivienne Wagner, founder of Houndstooth Media Group, for an insightful discussion on leadership, company culture, and building teams that thrive.Vivienne shares how her agency grew from an accidental startup at her dining room table into a successful team of 16 serving businesses across the country. She explains why hiring for fit comes before skill set and how clearly defined core values have shaped every aspect of the company's growth.Throughout the conversation, Heidi and Vivienne explore:• Why chemistry and shared values matter when building teams• The five core values that guide Houndstooth Media Group• How company culture influences client relationships and referrals• Why founders should empower employees to bring solutions, not just problems• How to create a collaborative environment where team members feel seen and valued• The importance of understanding individual personalities and communication styles• Why referrals are powerful but should not be your only growth strategy• How leaders can stay aligned with their values while scaling• The role gratitude, humor, and kindness play in long term success• Why fear is normal and should never stop entrepreneurs from pursuing growthWhether you're building your first team or leading a growing company, this episode offers practical insights for creating a culture that attracts great people, loyal clients, and sustainable success.Bio:Vivienne Wagner is the founder and CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, a digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists, she helps mid-sized businesses transform their websites into revenue-driving hubs by combining SEO expertise with the latest in AI-driven optimization.Known for her ability to make complex marketing concepts accessible, Vivienne speaks on how businesses can position themselves to be found by both human audiences and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Her agency’s approach not only boosts visibility and organic traffic but also reduces dependence on paid ads, giving business owners the freedom to scale more sustainably.Vivienne frequently works with decision-makers who need trusted marketing leadership—either because they don’t have in-house expertise or want a sharper second opinion on their current strategy. She offers a structured starting point through her SEO & AI Optimization Audit, which helps companies uncover hidden opportunities, identify weak points, and gain clarity on the steps needed to compete in today’s search-driven landscape.Outside of work, Vivienne enjoys life with her husband and extended family of four grown sons. Known for her mix of humor, candor, and genuine care for the people she works with, she brings the same energy into her professional world that she does into her personal one. As a guest, she is direct, insightful, and engaging—ready to share practical strategies for AI-optimized marketing, building strong website foundations, and scaling digital strategies for long-term success.Houndstooth Media GroupHoundstooth Media Group is a boutique digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists across the country, the agency helps mid-sized businesses turn their websites into revenue-driving hubs through SEO, AI-driven optimization, and strategic digital marketing.The majority of Houndstooth’s client base comes through referrals and word of mouth, with most partnerships lasting for years. That loyalty stems from the agency’s commitment to transparency and education—qualities that set it apart in an industry often clouded by jargon and “smoke and mirrors.” Houndstooth eliminates the “flying blind” feeling many business owners experience when working with marketing agencies, instead giving them clarity, confidence, and measurable results.From SEO strategy and AI-optimized content to social media, branding, and revenue development, Houndstooth delivers custom solutions without cookie-cutter tactics. Clients gain not only execution but also a trusted partner who explains the “why” behind the strategy, so leaders can make informed decisions and see the direct impact on their business growth.At its core, Houndstooth Media Group is built for long-term success: results-focused, strategy-driven, and deeply invested in helping businesses grow with confidence.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivienne-wagner/                 https://www.linkedin.com/company/houndstooth-media-group/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/houndstoothmediagroup/ Website:  https://houndstoothmediagroup.com/ 🎁Get your free webinar on AI Visibility https://houndstooth-media-group.webinargeek.com/aio-webinar-get-your-business-found?cst=business-growth-spotlightConnect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:Search is changing faster than ever.Customers are no longer relying solely on Google. They're asking ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms for recommendations, and businesses that fail to adapt risk becoming invisible.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Vivienne Wagner, founder of Houndstooth Media Group, to explore the future of SEO, AI visibility, and why clarity has become one of the most valuable assets a business can have.Vivienne shares how she accidentally built a thriving digital marketing agency, why authentic storytelling still matters in an AI world, and what business owners need to do today to ensure they are found and recommended tomorrow.She also reveals the three questions every business must answer clearly if they want to stand out in both search engines and AI platforms.Bio:Vivienne Wagner is the founder and CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, a digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists, she helps mid-sized businesses transform their websites into revenue-driving hubs by combining SEO expertise with the latest in AI-driven optimization.Known for her ability to make complex marketing concepts accessible, Vivienne speaks on how businesses can position themselves to be found by both human audiences and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Her agency’s approach not only boosts visibility and organic traffic but also reduces dependence on paid ads, giving business owners the freedom to scale more sustainably.Vivienne frequently works with decision-makers who need trusted marketing leadership—either because they don’t have in-house expertise or want a sharper second opinion on their current strategy. She offers a structured starting point through her SEO & AI Optimization Audit, which helps companies uncover hidden opportunities, identify weak points, and gain clarity on the steps needed to compete in today’s search-driven landscape.Outside of work, Vivienne enjoys life with her husband and extended family of four grown sons. Known for her mix of humor, candor, and genuine care for the people she works with, she brings the same energy into her professional world that she does into her personal one. As a guest, she is direct, insightful, and engaging—ready to share practical strategies for AI-optimized marketing, building strong website foundations, and scaling digital strategies for long-term success.Houndstooth Media GroupHoundstooth Media Group is a boutique digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists across the country, the agency helps mid-sized businesses turn their websites into revenue-driving hubs through SEO, AI-driven optimization, and strategic digital marketing.The majority of Houndstooth’s client base comes through referrals and word of mouth, with most partnerships lasting for years. That loyalty stems from the agency’s commitment to transparency and education—qualities that set it apart in an industry often clouded by jargon and “smoke and mirrors.” Houndstooth eliminates the “flying blind” feeling many business owners experience when working with marketing agencies, instead giving them clarity, confidence, and measurable results.From SEO strategy and AI-optimized content to social media, branding, and revenue development, Houndstooth delivers custom solutions without cookie-cutter tactics. Clients gain not only execution but also a trusted partner who explains the “why” behind the strategy, so leaders can make informed decisions and see the direct impact on their business growth.At its core, Houndstooth Media Group is built for long-term success: results-focused, strategy-driven, and deeply invested in helping businesses grow with confidence.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivienne-wagner/                  https://www.linkedin.com/company/houndstooth-media-group/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/houndstoothmediagroup/ Website:  https://houndstoothmediagroup.com/ 🎁Get your free webinar on AI Visibility 👉 https://houndstooth-media-group.webinargeek.com/aio-webinar-get-your-business-found?cst=business-growth-spotlightConnect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:Many people discover that the strategies that worked in their 20’s and 30’s no longer deliver the same results after forty. In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Brian Meisenburg, founder of Applied Fitness, to discuss why personalized wellness is replacing traditional fitness and how his unique approach is helping adults over forty reclaim their health.Brian shares how Applied Fitness combines personal training, nutrition, accountability, and medical weight loss support to create life changing transformations. He explains why metabolism, stress, hormones, and recovery play such a critical role in long term success and why the goal is much bigger than simply losing weight.The conversation also explores entrepreneurship, scaling multiple locations, creating systems, AI integration, and how wellness businesses are evolving toward personalized longevity and healthspan.Bio:Brian Meisenburg is the founder of Applied Fitness, a boutique personal training studio in Williamsville, New York, specializing in helping adults over 40 rebuild strength, improve metabolic health, and feel confident in their bodies again.With more than 20 years of experience in fitness and transformation coaching, Brian is the creator of the patented Metabolic Reset Method, a system designed to help people move beyond outdated dieting and cardio-based approaches by focusing on strength training, nutrition, accountability, and long-term metabolic health.He is also the author of a book on the Metabolic Reset, where he teaches why the body changes after 40 and how the right strategy can help people lose fat, protect muscle, and age stronger.Brian’s businesses include Applied Fitness, home of the Fit Over 40 Transformation, and Strong Again RX, a 12-week medical weight loss and metabolic reset program that combines medically guided weight loss, personal training, precision nutrition, and accountability tracking.His mission is simple: to help people stop chasing the scale, rebuild their strength, and become strong again for the next chapter of life.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fatlossbuffalo Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fatlossbuffalo Website:    https://www.fatlossbuffalo.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Binta Patel, Founder and CEO of Zen Medical Services, to uncover one of the biggest hidden challenges facing private medical practices today: getting paid.With more than 14 years of experience in medical revenue cycle management, Binta explains how doctors can lose thousands of dollars each month through denied claims, coding errors, missed authorizations, and inefficient processes. She shares how her company helps practices recover revenue, improve profitability, and focus on what matters most: patient care.Binta also shares her inspiring entrepreneurial journey from software engineer and new mother to building a thriving healthcare company almost entirely through referrals.Bio:Binta Patel is the founder of Zen Medical Services. After working as a software engineer, she started Zen while raising her young son and looking for a business that combined flexibility, scalability, and meaningful impact. Today, Zen helps medical practices improve billing, collections, denials, authorizations, AR follow-up, and overall revenue cycle performance. For more than 13 years, Binta and her team have helped practices collect better and operate more confidently in the business of medicine.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/binta-patel-zenInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/zenmedicalservicesCompany LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/zen-medical-services/Website;  https://www.zenservices.net/ https://claim.zenmedicalservices.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:What does high quality home healthcare really look like, and how can it transform patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Iqbal Shariff, CEO of Best Home Healthcare Network, to discuss the evolution of home healthcare, the importance of patient safety, and how innovation and AI are shaping the future of care.Iqbal shares the personal story that inspired his mission, the challenges his organization overcame during healthcare reform and COVID 19, and why patients today are shifting from simply aging in place to proactively pursuing longevity and wellness.He also reveals ambitious plans to expand services and create a healthcare model capable of saving Illinois hundreds of millions of dollars while improving access and outcomes.Bio:Iqbal Shariff, MBA, is the President and Administrator of Best Home Healthcare Network and a passionate advocate for patient safety and healthcare innovation. He founded the organization in 2006 with a mission to provide high quality, compassionate care that empowers patients to heal safely in the comfort of their own homes.A pioneer in the industry, Iqbal established the first home health program in Chicagoland to include a clinical pharmacist on the care team. Guided by the philosophy "Patient Safety. First.," he continues to champion proactive approaches that improve outcomes, reduce preventable medical errors, and enhance the patient experience.Iqbal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from DePaul University and an Executive MBA in Healthcare from the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/iqbal-shariff-72743322LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/best-home-healthcare-network Website:  www.BHHCare.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:Pain affects everyone, yet many people misunderstand what pain really means and how to recover from it.In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Jeff Petersen, founder of Petersen Physical Therapy, who brings more than four decades of experience helping people regain mobility, improve their quality of life, and overcome chronic pain.Jeff shares why pain is not always a reliable indicator of injury severity, the role mindset plays in recovery, and why movement remains one of the most powerful tools for healing. He also discusses the culture behind building a successful multi location practice and offers a preview of his upcoming book, Shadow of Pain.Whether you're struggling with chronic pain, recovering from an injury, or simply interested in living a healthier life, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and hope.Bio:Jeffrey Petersen, PT, MOMT, studied physical therapy at the University of New England and has been a practicing physical therapist since 1984. He studied exercise science at Arizona State University and completed advanced studies, earning a Master of Orthopedic Manual Therapy through the Ola Grimsby Institute. He founded Petersen Physical Therapy and has served as its CEO for  35 years. His volunteer activities include: Healing The Children, AZ, Tempe Neighbors helping neighbors, Tempe sister cities.Mr. Petersen has worked with thousands of patients living in the shadow of pain. Drawing from decades of clinical experience, leadership, and personal reflection. He has written a book that distills the most important principles he has learned about pain, resilience, and healing. "Shadow of Pain Due out 8/1/26To connect with our guest, click on the links below:https://petersenpt.com/  https://www.facebook.com/PetersenPhysicalTherapy/ https://www.youtube.com/c/petersenphysicaltherapy Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:Goldman, Founder and CEO of Rebel Health Alliance, to discuss how he's challenging traditional healthcare and creating a completely different model centered around prevention, longevity, optimization, and personalized care.John shares how his own health struggles led him to build a national healthcare company focused on helping people take ownership of their health before disease becomes a problem.The conversation also dives deep into entrepreneurship, founder led marketing, personal branding, customer acquisition, AI, accountability, and what it really takes to grow a successful business from the ground up.Whether you're interested in optimizing your health, scaling your business, or building a stronger personal brand, this episode delivers practical insights and real world lessons.Bio:John Goldman is a precision medicine entrepreneur and human performance advocate. As the Founder and CEO of Rebel Health Alliance, he built a concierge healthcare company that combines top physicians, dietitians, strength coaches, and epigenetic counselors into one coordinated team built around the individual. Frustrated by a healthcare system that only reacts when people get sick, John set out to change the model entirely. To prove what's possible, he's currently running "Project Unreasonable", a personal experiment to transform himself from an average founder into a Boston Marathon qualifier in 18 months or less using his own company's protocols. His approach is simple: data-backed, proactive, and deeply personal.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:X:  https://x.com/rebelhealth_Instagram: :https://www.instagram.com/rebelhealth_/X: https://www.x.com/johngoldman Website:  https://rebelhealthalliance.io/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership coach and business strategist Brent Hafele, founder of Vibrancy Unlocked. Brent shares what really happens behind the scenes for CEOs and why leadership challenges often become the biggest growth barriers organizations face.From loneliness at the top and decision fatigue to burnout and team development, Brent provides powerful insights into what separates struggling leaders from thriving ones.He also explains why most growth challenges are actually leadership challenges, how CEOs can build stronger teams, and why self awareness may be the most important skill a leader can develop.Whether you're a CEO, founder, executive, or business owner looking to grow your organization, this conversation offers practical wisdom for leading with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.Bio:Brent A. Hafele, M.A., PCC,  President & Coach to CEOsHi, I'm Brent.Over my career, I led in the number one or number two role in multiple businesses and nonprofits on the local, national, and international level. Starting in 2008, I also worked as a consultant, partnering with 180+ CEOs and senior leaders across North America on fundraising, board governance, strategic planning, and organizational leadership.That consulting work gave me a front-row seat to executive leadership—I observed their styles, traits, quirks, struggles, and blind spots. While I wasn't contracted specifically for leadership coaching, I often found myself helping those CEOs navigate the human side of leadership as we tackled their organizational challenges together.The work world can too easily strip away our humanity with expectations that prevent you from being you. Given the chance, it will challenge your values, divide your family, and leave you beat up.I founded Vibrancy Unlocked in 2022 because I saw a better way. CEOs needed more than strategic advice—they needed a partner who understood the weight of executive leadership and could help them break free from the patterns keeping them stuck.There are few things I love more than supporting a leader and their team as they press on into the next season.And it is my joy to walk with you toward vibrancy. To listen. To Question. To Strategize. To Encourage. To Celebrate. Bring on the real and the raw. Let's get to work.CredentialsICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)Gallup-Certified Strengths CoachM.A. in Nonprofit Leadership & PhilanthropyB.A. in Organizational Communication20+ years leading for-profit and nonprofit organizationsWorked with 180+ CEOs as a consultant and coach since 2008PersonalBeliever. Husband. Father. Friend. Leader. Coach.Location:  Based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  Brent A. Hafele, M.A., PCC | LinkedIn Website:  https://www.vibrancyunlocked.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:What if the best leadership training wasn't in a conference room but on a historic battlefield?In this fascinating episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership expert, executive coach, author, and retired Army Colonel David Fivecoat. After serving 24 years in the military and leading organizations ranging from 40 people to several thousand, David has developed a unique approach to leadership development that takes executives and leadership teams directly to historic battlefields.From Normandy to Gettysburg, David uses real historical events, leadership decisions, and moments of extreme pressure to help business leaders strengthen communication, decision making, initiative, and resilience.David also shares the entrepreneurial journey of launching a consulting company during the height of COVID, the lessons he learned about grit, and why persistence is often the deciding factor between success and failure.If you're looking for a fresh perspective on leadership, team development, and business growth, this episode delivers valuable insights you won't hear anywhere else.Bio*After 24 years as a US Army paratrooper, as well as 4 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colonel David Fivecoat, US Army, Retired, founded The Fivecoat Consulting Group. The author of the book Grow Your Grit, he now develops leaders through executive coaching, keynote speeches, workshops, and battlefield based leadership experiences (corporate staff rides). A native Ohioan, David Fivecoat resides in Columbus, Georgia.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/tfcg-llc Website:  https://www.thefivecoatconsultinggroup.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Show Notes:In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Danny Bobrow, founder of The Persuasion Blueprint, to explore how authentic communication can transform relationships, leadership, business growth, and everyday interactions.Danny shares his remarkable journey from overcoming significant visual impairment challenges to building successful businesses and developing a proven framework for persuasive communication. His approach is built on a simple but powerful principle: people make decisions emotionally and justify them logically.Together, Heidi and Danny dive into the three pillars of persuasive communication: Caring, Connection, and Collaboration, while discussing why listening may be the most valuable communication skill of all.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybobrow/   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DanielABobrow Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/danielabobrow Website:   www.DannyBobrow.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:What does it really mean to build a high performing organization?In this powerful episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership coach, marketing strategist, and author Olivier Lemaignen to explore the leadership principles that drive sustainable growth, stronger teams, and meaningful impact.After spending more than 30 years climbing the corporate ladder and serving as a marketing executive in Silicon Valley, Olivier made an intentional pivot into coaching. What began as a desire to escape corporate politics became a mission to help leaders become better versions of themselves while creating high performing organizations built on clarity, purpose, and service.Throughout the conversation, Olivier shares why many leaders focus too heavily on performance metrics while overlooking the most important question: What are we actually trying to accomplish?Together, Heidi and Olivier dive into leadership development, organizational growth, servant leadership, coaching, AI, business development, and the importance of defining your personal and professional True North.If you're a business owner, executive, team leader, or entrepreneur navigating growth, this episode offers practical insights that can help you lead more effectively while building a legacy that lasts.Bio:Over the past 30+ years, I have led and grown B2B, B2C, and marketplace-driven platforms across companies such as Intuit, LegalZoom, Credit Sesame, and Align Technology. My work has consistently focused on building repeatable revenue engines — aligning product, go-to-market, pricing, and operations to create durable growth and strong unit economics.I’ve operated both inside Fortune 500 environments and growth-stage companies. Then I pivoted to my true passion (which also turned out to my secret sauce for my success as a marketing executive): helping people grow into better versions of themselves, making sure the rising tide lifts all boats.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierlemaignen/ Website:   https://www.hpocoach.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Steve Smith, founder of Growth Source Coaching, to discuss the challenges business owners face as they grow, scale, and evolve. With more than 45 years of business experience and nearly two decades as an executive coach, Steve shares practical insights on leadership, growth strategy, business infrastructure, coaching, visibility, and AI.Steve explains why many business owners eventually lose connection with the purpose that originally drove them, how to identify growth ceilings before they become major obstacles, and why scaling too quickly can create more problems than opportunities.The conversation also explores Steve's unique visibility strategy, including how Google Business Profile became one of his most powerful lead generation tools, generating a significant percentage of new business over the years.Whether you're a founder, CEO, consultant, coach, or business owner looking to grow sustainably, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom and real world experience.Bio:Steve Smith, a professional business coach in Orange County, CA. has a mission. This mission  is to provide an extraordinary coaching experience that helps business professionals develop a keen sense of clarity, confidence and belief about being able to achieve what is most important to them and their organizations.Since 2008, Steve has worked with over 1,000 business professionals from a wide variety of industries and roles to ensure these clients could envision a future of growth, profitability and long lasting success.His specialties in leadership effectiveness, management practices and marketing strategy make him ideal for professionals who want to become world-class business owners or company executives. To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachstevejsmith/ Website:  https://www.growthsourcecoaching.com/ Podcast: www.businesswingmen.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dave Pennington, founder of Penn Coaching & Consulting, for a conversation packed with hard-won insights on leadership, business scaling, exit strategy, and the smart use of AI. Dave shares his journey through ministry, private education, and now a coaching practice built around helping business owners unlock their strengths, build the right teams, and position their businesses for maximum value when it's time to sell or transition. Bio:Dave spent the last 35+ years managing and leading organizations. He has served on national & international boards. He has built strong teams, developed his personal leadership, managed financials, and developed and sustained visionary leadership.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pennington-phd-35042714/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penncandc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penncandc/YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@penncoachingconsulting Website:  https://penncoaching.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:What separates businesses that scale from those that stall?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Adam Cubbage, Founder and Principal Consultant of CenterPoint Leadership Development, to discuss the systems, leadership frameworks, and mindset shifts that businesses need to achieve sustainable growth.Drawing from his military background and years of leadership development experience, Adam shares why leadership is not inspiration. It is a repeatable system.The conversation explores common mistakes founders make as they grow, the dangers of relying on one person for critical knowledge, how AI is changing business operations, and why business owners must continuously evolve if they want to reach their next level.Adam also introduces his upcoming book, Nobody Gave Me a Playbook, designed for leaders who were promoted into management without ever receiving a roadmap.Bio:  With over two decades of unique and hands-on leadership experience ranging from the combat zone to the c-suite, Adam Cubbage is a recognized expert in leadership & organizational development. He’s passionate about developing the next generation of leaders because he knows that great leaders are made only through a combination of experience, learning, and behavior. As the owner and Principal Consultant of Center Point Leadership Development, a certified executive coach, and professional facilitator Adam has extensive experience working with leaders at every level of an organization discovering the best ways to lead people, develop teams, & achieve results. The outcomes are undeniable: increased employee engagement, high-performing teams, and improved performance.   Adam earned a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Hood College, is an official member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a contributing writer to Forbes Magazine, a TEDx speaker, an adjunct professor, and a decorated combat veteran. He brings his love of learning, an ability to connect with people, and a keen sense of humor to deliver high-impact / high quality training programs all across the nation.  To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/atcubbage/Website:  https://www.centerpointleadership.co/Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:What if the biggest growth strategy in your business is not another tool, platform, or process but a better conversation?In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Ginine Capozzi, Founder of Knowledge Force Consulting, to explore how leadership, culture, mindset, and intentional conversations create sustainable business growth.Ginine shares the story behind her "Power of One" philosophy and explains why one conversation, one idea, and one intentional action can change the trajectory of a business and a career.The conversation dives into leadership development mistakes organizations commonly make, how AI is changing the future of work, why human skills are becoming more valuable than technical skills, and lessons learned from navigating business challenges over the last 14 plus years.Ginine also introduces her new program, The Long Arc Journey, a transformational experience designed for leaders asking themselves, "What's next?"Bio:Ginine M. Capozzi, Talent Development Consultant and ICF-Certified CoachAs president and founder of KnowledgeForce Consulting LLC, Ginine Capozzi is a hands-on leader who pushes the boundaries of training excellence. Ginine expertly combines her knowledge of adult learning and change management with sharp business acumen, delivering impactful solutions across her work. With over 20 years of industry experience, her expertise is focused on making a difference by co-creating learning at the intersection of business and people’s needs. In 2012, she started KnowledgeForce Consulting to develop Training Reimagined® learning solutions that power businesses and help her clients expand their people’s knowledge, skills, and real-world experiences to create sustained change.Throughout her career, Ginine has held impactful roles in education and training, including instructional designer, learning solutions architect, professional coach, and business owner. She has worked with over 125 organizations, many of which are part of the US Fortune 500. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Rochester Institute of Technology in Printing Management and Packaging Science and a Master of Education Degree (M.Ed.) in Career and Technical Education with a concentration in Adult Education from Buffalo State College. She is certified in Hogan Assessments, HBDI® Assessments, Whole Brain® Thinking and The B▢X® Experience. Additionally, Ginine is an ICF-ACC Certified CoActive Coach and Sententia Gamification Master Craftsman.Ginine served as a panelist alongside several notable industry leaders, including Siemens president Barbara Humpton and Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight, to discuss Upskilling for the Digital Future at the University at Buffalo's School of Engineering and Sciences. Ginine has shared her expertise as a featured speaker on numerous podcasts, panels, and industry conferences, most recently presenting insights at NYPWA’s Winter Conference (2026) and at GamiCon48V (2026). She is also a published author who has a featured contribution to a best-selling anthology on learning experience design.Several regional media outlets and industry organizations have featured her work and expertise, including Buffalo Business First, WIVB Buffalo News 4, University at Buffalo’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and ATD Buffalo Niagara.__________________________________________About KnowledgeForce Consulting LLCKnowledgeForce Consulting LLC is a certified NYS woman-owned talent development firm providing training and development services to a vast array of New York State government agencies, companies, businesses, and organizations throughout the U.S. KnowledgeForce Consulting’s president, Ginine Capozzi, is a strategic learning and development (L&D) professional who founded the firm in 2012 based on her belief that an organization’s workforce is its “knowledge force” and that leveraging people’s knowledge and experience is the secret to sustained success. KnowledgeForce Consulting’s service offerings include L&D strategic planning, customized instructional design, e-learning and behavioral assessments, and in-person or virtual facilitation, including leadership coaching. Through its services, the firm partners with organizations in all industries to expand the knowledge, skills, and real-world experiences of their greatest asset – their people – to drive change and improve performance. To learn more about KnowledgeForce Consulting LLC, visit www.knowledgeforceconsulting.com.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gininecapozzi/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@trainingreimagined Website:  www.knowledgeforceconsulting.com Website:  www.longarcjourney.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Andrew Chesnutt, founder of Authority Forge, to discuss what it really takes to build authority, simplify marketing, and grow a sustainable business.With over 20 years of experience in learning and development and more than a decade in entrepreneurship, Andrew shares how he transformed his expertise into helping coaches and founders manage marketing overwhelm while focusing on the work they do best.This conversation dives into founder marketing, the balance between personal storytelling and business content, the role of AI in modern business, and why entrepreneurs often struggle by trying to do everything themselves.Andrew also opens up about costly lessons learned, including a failed $15,000 marketing campaign, hiring mistakes, business pivots, and strategies that now consistently drive growth.Discover practical insights on content strategy, authentic storytelling, pivoting, and leveraging AI effectively.  If you're a coach, entrepreneur, or founder looking to create visibility, build authority, and scale strategically, this episode delivers practical insights you can implement immediately.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchesnutt/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theauthorityforge/ Website:  https://theauthorityforge.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk talks with Dr. Heather Awad, family physician and certified coach, about helping professional women navigate menopause and achieve sustainable weight loss. Dr. Heather shares her personal journey through midlife weight challenges, how she developed Vibrant MD’s flexible, science-backed approach, and the power of virtual group coaching for professional women.Listeners will learn:Why traditional diet and exercise methods often fail during menopauseHow Dr. Heather’s approach combines medical expertise with coaching for lasting resultsThe role of community and group coaching in achieving weight loss and confidenceStrategies for growing a virtual health business and marketing effectively to midlife womenUpcoming projects including a book on menopause weight loss and plans to make programs evergreenWhether you’re navigating midlife weight challenges or looking to scale a service-based business online, this episode is packed with practical insights and inspiration.Bio*Heather Awad, MD is a family doctor and certified coach helping professional women at menopause and beyond to lose the weight that won’t budge. Her proven system works with their hormone changes instead of against them, showing women how to enjoy food, reset their metabolism, and achieve lasting results—without dieting or willpower. She also hosts the Vibrant Menopause podcast, where she shares real-life strategies for weight loss and midlife health.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherawadmd/Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/heatherawadmd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherawadmd?trk=public_post_feed-actor-nameYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heatherawadmd7858Website:  https://www.vibrant-md.com/ 🎁Free Gift: https://www.vibrant-md.com/breakfast Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode, Matt Campbell, co-founder and owner of Virtual Midwest Concussion Clinic, joins host Heidi Schalk to share his journey building a 100% virtual concussion care practice that is changing how patients experience brain injury recovery. From unexpected business origins to navigating a pandemic pivot, Matt opens up about what it truly means to put patients first in a healthcare system that often leaves concussion sufferers behind.Matt breaks down why the traditional medical model fails concussion patients and how his virtual clinic fills a critical gap for adults who have been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or simply left without answers. He walks through his multi-system treatment approach that includes vision therapy, vestibular therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and lifestyle modification coaching, all delivered virtually so patients never have to risk making their symptoms worse by driving to an appointment.The conversation also digs into the business side of running a specialized niche clinic as a solo founder. Matt shares how word of mouth, consistent free content, TikTok lives, monthly webinars, and a commitment to radical accessibility have become his most powerful growth tools. He also addresses why he operates on a flat rate cash pay model, how AI and automation are helping him run lean without sacrificing the patient experience, and what revenue leaks he sees most commonly in concussion care practices.Bio:As the Owner of the Midwest Concussion Clinic, I have created a business from the ground up that specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of concussions and Persistent Post Concussion Symptoms (PPCS).With over 10 years of experience in concussion management as an Athletic Trainer and Certified Brain Injury Specialist, my goal is to provide a unique and patient centered experience for anyone struggling with their brain injury recovery. You’re not a number. You’re a person in our clinic and that will always be our main focus. We treat all aspects of the individual after a concussion, not just their symptoms. To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-campbell-lat-atc-aib-vrc-v2fit-itat-2bb28053/ Website:  https://mwconcussion.com/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:   https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Michael Rubenstein, co-founder of Relief Now Laser Centers. Dr. Mike shares his remarkable journey from sales and marketing to becoming a chiropractor, and ultimately building a differentiated laser pain relief brand that has grown into an unfranchise model with locations across the United States and even Dubai. He breaks down the business model behind Relief Now Laser Centers, how they help both patients and doctors, and why laser therapy is the future of non-invasive pain treatment. Key Takeaways1.     Differentiation is survival. In a commoditized market, finding a unique clinical offering is the key to long-term growth and profitability.2.     Laser therapy expands your patient universe. By operating as a laser pain center rather than a traditional chiropractic office, you can attract the 87% of people who would never seek chiropractic care.3.     Start before you are ready. Dr. Mike and his partner launched Relief Now during a global pandemic because they finally had time to build the systems, not because conditions were perfect.4.     Referrals are still king. Even in the age of digital marketing, 80% of Relief Now's B2B growth comes from relationships and referrals built over years of practice.5.     AI is a back-end game changer. From CRM automations to call bots to lead reactivation, AI tools like GoHighLevel and Claude are helping practices run leaner and smarter.6.     Top of funnel is the ultimate bottleneck. When your product sells itself once people see it, the real challenge becomes generating a consistent flow of qualified leads.7.     Success leaves clues. Find someone who has already built what you want to build, mimic their path, and collapse your timeline.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rubenstein-dc-b1373491/Website:  https://thelasermasters.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Jim Floyd, founder of Ascent Total Performance, to discuss how physical therapy can play a much bigger role in transforming healthcare outcomes.Jim shares how his frustration with the traditional healthcare system inspired him to create a patient centered practice focused on prevention, performance, and long term wellness rather than reactive care. The conversation dives into leadership, company culture, healthcare innovation, AI in physical therapy, and why patients need to advocate for themselves.You will hear how Jim built a high performance culture rooted in accountability and continuous learning while creating an environment where both staff and patients thrive. He also opens up about the operational challenges of growing a healthcare business, navigating insurance limitations, and balancing premium care with sustainable growth.This episode is packed with insights for healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to better understand how movement, prevention, and personalized care can dramatically improve quality of life.Bio:Dr. Jim Floyd, DPT, CSCS, CSPS did not follow the traditional path to physical therapy and that is what sets him apart.Before earning his Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Jim built his foundation in marketing and advertising, gaining business acumen and communication skills most clinicians never acquire. When he entered healthcare, he saw a system comfortable with average and decided to challenge it.In 2016, he co-founded his first practice and in 2021 he launched Ascent Total Performance in Columbia, South Carolina, applying nearly a decade of lessons to build something done right. Today, ATP operates across two locations as the region’s premier destination for rehabilitation, performance, and wellness.Jim holds advanced certifications in dry needling, spinal manipulation, strength and conditioning, sports performance, and functional movement, but at ATP, credentials are just the baseline.What truly sets ATP apart is its culture. In an industry plagued by burnout and turnover, Jim has created an environment where practitioners grow, lead, and believe in something bigger than a caseload. Standards are shared, and every team member champions change, pursues excellence, and serves with dedication rarely demanded in traditional healthcare.  That culture transforms the patient experience.Now, Jim is expanding ATP into a full-spectrum performance and executive wellness hub for people who want more than recovery. They want optimization. It is not just a clinic. It is a movement led by a practitioner who refuses to accept the status quo.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:IG:  https://www.instagram.com/floyddpt/       https://www.instagram.com/ascentrehab/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jim-floyd/FB:  https://www.facebook.com/ascentrehab Website:  www.achieveatp.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint🎁 Looking for the solution to missed calls and leaking revenue?  Check out Leah, our AI employee then get your free custom demo for your business:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah