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

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 Takeaways

1.     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

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

In this powerful episode, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Sage Breslin, a transformation psychologist and coach with 35 years of experience helping people get unstuck and rise above where they are. Dr. Sage opens up about her personal journey through toxic relationships, financial devastation, a bone marrow cancer diagnosis, and the breakthrough that changed everything, and how all of it shaped the work she does today with professional women leaders.

The conversation dives deep into one of the most overlooked blind spots in business and personal life: the impact of narcissistic individuals on high-achieving women. From the workplace to intimate relationships, Dr. Sage explains why old soul women are especially vulnerable, how narcissists systematically dismantle confidence and clarity, and what leaders can do to protect themselves and their teams.

Bio:

Dr. Sage Breslin is a Breakthrough and Transformation Coach, Trauma Psychologist, Motivational Speaker, Screenwriter, and Best-Selling Author. Despite surviving extensive trauma—including sexual assault, paralysis, cardiac arrest, and a bone marrow transplant—she has turned her experiences into a force for helping others.

She holds a BA in Behavioral Psychology from UCSD and an MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and is certified in Mind/Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her acclaimed books include Lovers & Survivors, The Secret to Conception, Daily Pearls: 365 Days of Sage Wisdom, and the best-seller Breaking Through: The Conscious Leader’s and Entrepreneur’s Guide to Amplify Intuition, Clarity, Vision, Motivation and Productivity. Her upcoming release, Ditch the Narcissist Magnet, is coming in 2026.

Dr. Breslin also offers self-paced courses and transformational masterminds for leaders, and she is the founder of the ROSE System, helping high-achieving women reclaim passion, purpose, and joy. Learn more at SageBreslin.com
and TheROSESystem.com
.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsagebreslinnarcissistrecoveryexpert/

https://www.facebook.com/SageWisdomInstitute

https://www.youtube.com/@SageBreslinBreakthroughs

https://www.instagram.com/sagebreslin/

https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.sage.breslin

https://www.lemon8-app.com/@dr.sage.breslin

https://www.amazon.com/author/sagebreslin 

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

What does it take to build a pediatric therapy practice from zero to six locations over 26 years with no business degree, no roadmap, and more than a few moments of wanting to walk away? Sheree' Behrndt, founder of Sensory Solutions, has lived that story and she is still writing it.

Sheree' is an occupational therapist who stumbled into pediatrics when the company she worked for was closing its doors. In April of 2000, with a new partner and a whole lot of belief, she launched Sensory Solutions out of the home health space in Missouri. Within the first few years, the business exploded to 50 contractors, then collapsed almost overnight when the state cut funding. She started an outpatient clinic, had no referral network, had no idea how to bill insurance, and by her own admission fell flat on her face more times than she can count.

She kept going anyway.

Today Sensory Solutions operates four clinics across the St. Louis metro area and has expanded into Paducah, Kentucky through a partnership with a longtime team member. The practice provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy for children from birth to age 18, with a specialty that sets them apart from nearly anyone in the region: children who cannot eat.

Sheree' shares her passion for the zero to three age window, explaining the science behind neuroplasticity and why early, high frequency intervention can change the trajectory of a child's life permanently. She talks about the two year old who eats only Ritz crackers, the babies falling off growth charts and facing feeding tubes, and the college graduates who reach out years later to say they would not be where they are without her team.

The conversation also gets honest about the hard stuff. Personal challenges in recent years led Sheree' to step back, turnover followed, and revenue took a significant hit. Rather than walk away, she is back out meeting with pediatricians, writing thank you cards to referral partners she had taken for granted, showing up at the office, and betting on herself again

Bio:

Owner; Occupational Therapist at Sensory Solutions, LLC; Partner of Sensory Solutions-KY, LLC 

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheree-behrndt-2471637/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SensorySolutionsLLC 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SensorySolutionsKY

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sensorysolutionsllc 

Website: https://sensorysolutions.org  

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

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Roger Jahnke, founder of Health Action, a wellness and health maximization organization with over 35 years in business. Dr. Jahnke shares his deeply personal journey into integrative medicine, rooted in losing his father to cancer at just 10 years old, and how that experience shaped his life's mission of helping people unlock their body's natural capacity to heal.

Dr. Jahnke breaks down why preventative and integrative medicine has been slow to gain adoption despite decades of conversation, pointing to societal addiction to convenience, the financial incentives embedded in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industrial complexes, and a healthcare system that profits from chronic illness rather than preventing it.

The conversation dives deep into the staggering financial reality that over 80% of the current $5 trillion annual US healthcare spend goes toward preventable chronic disease, and how organizations that invest just $1 in health maximization practices can see a return of $3 to $6. Dr. Jahnke shares firsthand stories from his consulting work with the Veterans Administration, hospital systems, corporations, and school districts, and why even well-intentioned organizations fall short when it comes to implementing real wellness programs.

He also touches on how Health Action is beginning to integrate AI into their strategic planning and content creation, while remaining grounded in human connection and nature-based wellness practices.

Topics covered include the difference between "healthcare" as a financing system versus true health maximization, why the human body is always working to heal itself, how organizations can train teams to embed wellness naturally into their culture, and why breaking the traditional "target market" rule has worked for Health Action for over three decades.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerjahnke/

Website:  https://healthaction.net/

Email:   drjahnke@healthaction.net 

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

What does it really take to build a business that lasts decades, not just years.

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr Doug Long, co-owner of Renaissance Chiropractic Center, to unpack the real drivers behind sustainable growth in healthcare

With over 30 years in practice and a multi-generational chiropractic legacy, Dr Long shares what most practitioners never learn in school.  How to actually run a business.

From navigating insurance challenges to building a referral driven practice, this conversation breaks down the operational and cultural decisions that separate thriving practices from struggling ones

Whether you are in healthcare or any service-based business, the lessons here apply directly to retention, team building, and long-term growth

Bio:

Co-owner of Renaissance Chiropractic Center with my brother.  15 chiropractors in the family including father, wife, daughter, son-in-law, brother and two sisters.  33rd year of practice. Served as President and Board member of Washington State Chiropractic Association and member of the Washington State Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission. Member of the Chiropractic Knights of the Round Table. Featured speaker at multiple chiropractic events.  Renaissance Chiropractic Center has 5 doctors, 3 massage therapists and mutliple support staff. We provide care to children/infants, pregnant moms, families, seniors, motor vehicle accident victims, injured workers, etc. incorporating chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, high intensity laser therapy, non-surgical spinal decompression therapy, spinal curve correction and rehab exercises.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-long-52457413/

Instagram @douglongdc 

Website:  www.chirotacoma.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

What if the things you have been trying to fix about yourself are not flaws at all but hidden strengths?

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Gary Acevedo of Rise Leadership to unpack a radically different approach to personal and professional growth.

Gary shares how decades of working in transformational leadership led him to one core belief: there is nothing wrong with people. The behaviors, doubts, and patterns we often criticize are often misunderstood strengths that, when properly understood, can unlock massive growth.

This conversation dives into how leaders can shift from criticism to empowerment, why most people stay stuck in patterns, and how aligning with a higher purpose can accelerate both personal success and business results.

You will also hear practical strategies around influence, leadership, sales, and mindset that can be applied immediately in business, parenting, and everyday life.

This episode will challenge how you think about growth and what is actually holding you back.

Bio:

For over 40 years best-selling author Gary Acevedo has immersed himself in over 30 cutting edge empowerment innovations like NLP, Rapid Eye, TBM, Gestalt, Breath work, and many more.  He has combined and built on these to design the pinnacle of personal effectiveness and empowerment.  He has become recognized as a world-class trainer of trainers creating advanced training for some of the country’s best facilitators, coaches, healers and speakers.  He is the best-selling author of the book “Ignite the Gift You Are: 7 Master Keys to Awaken Your Passion, Power and Profits.”  Gary created “The Awakening” retreat grads say is the pinnacle of re-programming.  He has a Breakthrough Process that has helped Leaders create outstanding results.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyacevedo/ 

YouTube: The 7 Master Keys to How Life Really Works🌟 with Gary Acevedo

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@RiseLeadershipGroup/videos 

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

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Anthony Dispenziere, CEO of Reno Radiological Associates, to unpack what is really happening inside healthcare today.

From physician shortages and industry consolidation to the role of AI and the power of culture, Anthony delivers a candid look at the pressures shaping modern medicine—and what it takes to build a sustainable, high-performing organization in the middle of it.

This conversation goes far beyond healthcare. It is a masterclass in leadership, retention, and aligning incentives for long-term growth.

Bio:

What specific details are you looking for here? I’m originally from South Florida. Went to the University of Florida, have a masters in accounting. Worked in big 4 accounting and financial reporting before moving closer with each step into operations. Eventually was hired to help manage physician practices as a part-time executive resource. I’ve lived in many places in the US including FL, NYC, Dallas, Colorado, plus my girlfriend-then-later- turned-wife and I lived all around the western half of the country in a big RV and saw most of the national parks while I worked from the road. I’m now CEO of a midsize independent radiology group, and we love living in Reno, NV where there is so much natural beauty. I love golf and skiing in particular.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-dispenziere/

Website:  http://www.renorad.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

Host Heidi Schalk, co-founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Gary Miller, an Olympic ski coach turned serial entrepreneur now based in Germany. Gary introduces American audiences to the Human Charger, a transcranial bright light therapy device that has been quietly transforming wellness, athletic performance, and sleep health across Europe for over a decade. Together they explore how this compact, portable device works, who can benefit from it, and how Gary is navigating the challenge of bringing it to the U.S. market.

Bio:

Entrepreneur and former Olympic Team Coach

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miller-a2086614/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ValkeeHumanCharger/

Website:  https://humancharger.us

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

In this episode, Heidi sits down with Phil Hixon, VP of Sales at Superior Supplement Manufacturing, a company he has helped build over nearly 10 years alongside his longtime friend and founder. Phil brings a rare insider perspective to one of the most misunderstood industries in consumer health: dietary supplements.

From the regulatory realities that most brand owners never see coming, to the marketing truths that separate successful brands from the 95% who never reorder, this conversation is packed with hard-won wisdom for anyone building or considering entering the supplement space.

Bio*

With over a decade of experience in the dietary supplement industry, Phil Hixon serves as the Vice President of Sales at Superior Supplement Manufacturing and is a partner at Supplement Brand Builder. Throughout his career, Phil has consulted with over 25,000 brands, guiding formulation, product development, and manufacturing strategies. His collaborations include notable companies such as Bulletproof, Amway, SlimFast, and Onnit, helping them navigate the complexities of manufacturing, product launches, and market positioning.​

Phil’s expertise spans various dosage forms, including capsules, tablets, softgels, gummies, liquids, and powders. He possesses in-depth knowledge of packaging solutions, ingredient sourcing, and staying abreast of industry trends. His insights have been featured on industry podcasts, and he actively contributes to discussions that shape the future of dietary supplementation.​

Prior to his tenure in the supplement industry, Phil honed his sales skills in real estate, working with renowned real estate coach Tom Ferry. This experience provided him with a solid foundation in client relations and strategic planning, which he seamlessly integrates into his current roles. Phil’s educational background includes study at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he majored in Engineering. 

Beyond his professional endeavors, Phil enjoys fishing and walking in nature in his hometown of Austin, Texas. He also enjoys engaging in thoughtful discussions over a good glass of beer, delving into the latest topics and trends shaping our world.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-hixon/

IG:   @bigphillyg1 

IG: @superiorsupplementmfr

Website:  www.superiorsupplementmfg.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

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Ryan Duncan, founder of MedFlix Plus, joins host Heidi Schalk to share how a personal healthcare crisis sparked an idea that became a fully live platform giving everyday people access to the same employee benefits large corporations use. Ryan walks us through the three tiers of MedFlix Plus, how the platform works, his entrepreneurial journey bootstrapping a startup, and his growth strategy using LinkedIn outreach, B2B partnerships, and investor conversations. If you've ever felt frustrated by the broken healthcare system or priced out of benefits, this episode is for you.

Topics covered include telemedicine and Teladoc access, dental and vision discounts, prescription drug savings, mental health counseling, health advocacy services, pet telehealth, the gig worker and small business market, and how Ryan is scaling through associations and angel investors.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanduncanceo/

Website:  Www.medflixplus.com

Email:  RD@medflixplus.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

Matthew Myro Rothman, cannabis medicine expert and CannaLnx Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Marketing since its founding in 2018, joins host, Heidi Schalk, to break down the world of medical cannabis, how it fits into traditional healthcare, and what the future holds for reimbursement and integration.

Matthew shares his journey from growing up in Cleveland to studying philosophy in San Francisco, where he was introduced to the medical cannabis industry in 2003. He spent 15 years as a cultivator and consultant before transitioning to the digital side, joining the team behind CannaLnx and its parent company EM2P2.

Topics covered include the difference between medical cannabis, adult use/recreational cannabis, and hemp under federal law; why cannabis remains a Schedule I substance despite tens of thousands of research studies; and how President Trump's 2024 executive order is pushing to reclassify medical cannabis to Schedule III. Matthew explains how CannaLnx is working with the American Council of Cannabis Medicine (ACCM) and third party administrators (TPAs) to create alternative wellness stipends that allow patients to be reimbursed for cannabis medicine purchases through traditional health insurance bundles, making it the first platform of its kind to do so.

The conversation also covers CannaLnx's business model (transaction fees from dispensary partners, always free for patients and physicians), the challenge of bootstrapping in a stigmatized industry, and the upcoming merger of CannaLnx with FitTech to launch CannaHealth, a biomonitoring platform that tracks real-time bioactivity data during cannabis use.

Bio:

Matthew Myro Rothman is a man of varied interest and expertise; counting musician, actor, writer, personal trainer, high-performance coach, and podcaster among his talents and skills. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the values of hard work and education would become a mainstay in his life. After graduating with honors from Cleveland State University in 2003, Matthew moved to San Francisco to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy, cosmology and consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies. His introduction to the medical cannabis industry would come the following year while earning his Master’s degree. Matthew was hired by a fellow grad student as a plant care specialist for a medical cannabis nursery that provided clones to local dispensaries. The next 15 years were spent as an entrepreneur and consultant in cannabis cultivation—building or consulting on dozens of small-medium grows and owning a nursery that provided tens of thousands of clones to Harborside Oakland which, at the time, was the largest medical dispensary in the country.

In 2018, Matthew joined the EM2P2/CannaLnx team and currently serves that organization as its Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Marketing. He is also the host of the Edge of Cannabis Medicine podcast where he interviews experts and innovators on the cutting edge of all things pertaining to medical cannabis.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-myro/

Website:  www.cannalnx.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

What if the single greatest skill standing between you and the career or business breakthrough you have been chasing is not strategy, not funding, not connections, but simply the ability to walk into a room and communicate with confidence, clarity, and conviction? In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Benjamin Thiele-Long, a UK trained barrister turned global communications consultant and newly published author, whose career reads like a masterclass in reinvention. From arguing cases in courtrooms to advising C-suite executives at companies like Target and Petco, Benjamin has spent over two decades studying what makes communication irresistible. And now he has put everything he knows into one remarkably practical book.

Benjamin shares the courtroom philosophy that changed the way he thinks about persuasion, why most people stumble not because they lack ideas but because they lack structure, and what a Royal Shakespeare Company director taught him about feedback that every business leader needs to hear. He also gets refreshingly honest about the challenge of selling a book in 2026, why TikTok is now part of his marketing strategy whether he likes it or not, and how he almost forgot to count writing and publishing a book as an achievement when reflecting on his year.

Bio:

As both a qualified barrister and a communications consultant, BENJAMIN has over 20 years of experience as a trusted advisor to the leaders of some of the world’s largest organizations. With a career spanning time as a courtroom advocate, PR agency leader, and Chief Communications Officer, he is a respected industry expert known for his uniquely practical yet relatable approach that can instill the confidence to turn anyone into a compelling and persuasive public speaker.

==

Benjamin began his career as a barrister, completing pupillage and tenancy at 2 King’s Bench Walk and Furnival Chambers before joining the international law firm Pinsent Masons.

He later moved into PR and communications, with agency roles including Pagefield and Cognito in London and the United States. He was initially based in New York before moving to San Diego to lead Cognito’s West Coast offering, working with founders and executives in the technology, professional services and finance sectors.

He was appointed Managing Director of Financial Communications for international PR and communications consultancy Ketchum, serving as a strategic advisor and presentation trainer to C-suites and boards of multinational businesses in the retail, technology, FMCG, hospitality, and financial services sectors. He most recently served as Petco’s Chief ESG and Communications Officer based in California.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminthielelong/

Website:  https://www.benjaminthielelong.com/

Grab the book:  How To Be Utterly Brilliant at Public Speaking, Presenting and Talking to the Media

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Kevin shares his unconventional path from government affairs attorney at the American Association of Orthodontists to building a company that bridges the gap between traditional orthodontics and the disruptive (and often dangerous) direct-to-consumer aligner market. He breaks down why companies like SmileDirectClub ultimately failed, what general dentists are missing when it comes to occlusal health, and how AI is slashing treatment planning time by up to 80%.

In this episode you will learn:

The three pillars of oral health and why the third one is dangerously overlooked by most general dentists

Why SmileDirectClub collapsed despite being valued at billions and what Clear Blue Smiles is doing differently

How AI is transforming 3D scanning and treatment planning in orthodontics and what used to take 25 minutes now takes under five

The legal landscape shaking up the DTC orthodontic industry and what nine states have now declared illegal

Why general dentists can and should be treating mild to moderate clear aligner cases and how Clear Blue Smiles makes that easy and profitable

How Clear Blue Smiles acquires clients including the accidental TikTok moment that generated hundreds of leads overnight

Kevin's vision for the next 12 months including a direct-to-consumer platform that connects pre-qualified patients with dentists in their network

The myth he wants every patient and clinician to stop believing about clear aligner cost and quality

Bio:

CEO, Clear Blue Smiles, Inc., former General Counsel of American Association of Orthodontists

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-dillard-985a5b8/ 

                 https://www.linkedin.com/company/clear-blue-smiles/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/clearbluesmiles/ 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/clearbluesmiles  

Website:   https://clearbluesmiles.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

What would you do if a single medical bill arrived for $1.2 million and you had absolutely no idea where to turn? That moment of helplessness is exactly what patient advocate Emily Bernstein of Wheelhouse Health Navigation Services has built her career around solving. In this eye-opening episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Emily joins host Heidi Schalk to pull back the curtain on a profession most people never knew existed until the moment they desperately needed it.

What you will learn in this episode

• What a board-certified patient advocate actually does and why the distinction from a hospital case manager matters enormously
• How Emily has eliminated over $1.3 million in medical debt for her clients and secured authorizations, transplant list placements, and essential medical equipment
• The shocking volume of errors on medical bills and why you should never pay the first bill you receive
• Where to find a qualified advocate through directories like Greater National Advocates and how Medicare and Medicaid recipients may qualify for free services through Umbra Advocacy
• Why having a third-party advocate removes the emotion from the process and dramatically speeds up resolution
• How Emily's business model shifted after a state Medicaid benefit cut and what she is building next in the patient education space
• Her core philosophy: be a squeaky wheel, lead with empathy, and never accept a denial as the final word

Bio:

Emily Bernstein is a Board Certified Patient Advocate and Community Health Worker from Rhode Island. Her background is in international education and customer service, and she pivoted to patient advocacy after her mom was diagnosed with CNS lymphoma in 2019. Her focus is on advocating for newcomers to the US healthcare system, and she has secured funding from the RI Department of Human services and RI Department of Health to create innovative strategies for supporting these communities.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/wheelhouse-health/

Instagram:  @wheelhouse-health

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this powerful episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Doug Cornfield, co-founder of Disability Dream and Do, to unpack a journey that blends purpose, resilience, and entrepreneurial grit.

Doug shares how a life-changing moment, the birth of his son with disabilities, led him to an unexpected partnership with Dave Clark, a former professional baseball player who played on crutches. What started as curiosity turned into a mission: creating life-changing sports experiences for children with disabilities.

Together, they’ve built a movement that delivers free sports camps, powerful storytelling, and unforgettable moments for families across the country.

This conversation goes far beyond inspiration. It dives into real business lessons around revenue generation, pivoting through crisis, and building sustainable impact.

Bio:

DOUG CORNFIELD is an author, speaker, and former college athlete. He is the director of the Disability, Dream, and Do (D3Day) sports camps, created with Dave Clark. In college he was a top contender in track and field, and a scholarship athlete at the University of Georgia. His professional experience includes time spent in both the family entertainment industry and as a senior financial advisor for Merrill Lynch. 

More recently he partnered with Dave Clark to organize their company and run D3Day events, where the duo create opportunities for children and young adults with special needs to interact with professional sports players and compete with no limitations. 

Doug is the author of two books, a children’s book “A Pound of Kindness” and compilation book, “Pulling Each Other Along”.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougcornfield/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@D3Day-Dugout-Movement  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/D3Day, 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/d3day/, 

                     https://www.instagram.com/legacy_mile/, 

                     https://www.instagram.com/daveclarky4/ 

Tiktok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@d3day_dugout_movement, 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Coach Greg LeFever, founder of Impowered Fitness, to explore how fitness, mindset, and community intersect to create real transformation.

Coach Greg shares his journey from corporate leadership in the automotive industry to building a purpose-driven fitness business focused on coaching rather than traditional training. His approach goes beyond workouts, integrating mindset, accountability, and lifestyle habits to help clients create sustainable results.

This conversation dives into what it really means to build an anti gym environment, one that removes intimidation, fosters community, and prioritizes personal growth over performance metrics.

Coach Greg also unpacks the importance of understanding your why, especially for high-performing professionals, and how fitness directly impacts leadership, resilience, and mental clarity.

From building a business through grassroots visibility to navigating marketing challenges and scaling with intention, this episode is packed with insights for founders, operators, and anyone looking to elevate both their health and performance.

Bio:

You got it, Coach Greg! Here's your power-packed, high-energy snapshot:

Coach Greg is the unstoppable force behind IMpowered Fitness and The 50-Strong Movement — a best-selling author, dynamic keynote speaker, MBA professor, and a powerhouse motivator. He's the coach busy parents, professionals, and purpose-driven youth look to when they’re ready to level up their lives. From crushing 30-minute workouts to sparking life-changing mindset shifts, he blends discipline, faith, and fun in everything he does. Whether he's launching or leading a 50-Strong movement, teaching teens character, or brining real life concepts to an MBA class, Coach Greg lives what he teaches: purpose, passion, and power.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IMpoweredfitnesstustin  

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/im.powered.fitness/

Website: https://impoweredfitness.com/

Books available on Amazon including Making Time for You and The Impowered Life

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Cara Thurman, founder of Vinings Massage and Wellness, to explore how mission-driven growth can transform not only a business but an entire healthcare experience.

Cara shares her deeply personal journey from navigating multiple open-heart surgeries to building a specialized oncology massage practice that now partners with major hospital systems across Georgia. What started as a solo practice has evolved into a multi-team operation delivering patient and employee wellness programs inside clinical environments.

This conversation goes beyond traditional business growth. It highlights how purpose, persistence, and strategic partnerships can open doors in highly regulated industries like healthcare.

Bio:

Cara Thurman, CMT, NCBTMB, is a nationally certified massage therapist, NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider, and founder of Vinings Massage & Wellness in Atlanta. She specializes in oncology massage therapy and is a leader in developing and integrating evidence-informed massage programs within hospital systems. Since 2012, Cara has built and overseen patient-facing and employee-facing massage services in collaboration with major healthcare organizations, including Piedmont Healthcare and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, working directly with oncology and palliative care teams in infusion centers, inpatient units, and wellness settings. She has completed advanced oncology massage training with leading educators, including Tracy Walton, and through institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, and is deeply committed to education and outreach for both medical professionals and massage therapists across the cancer care continuum.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/cara-thurman77

Instagram @vinings_massage

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/viningsmassage/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Muhammad Umer Sialvee, CEO of Evocare Billing and IT Solutions, to break down one of the most overlooked challenges in healthcare: revenue loss due to inefficient billing and operations.

With a background in pharmacy and quality assurance, Muhammad shares how he identified critical gaps in medical billing and built Evocare to help clinics and hospitals streamline operations, reduce errors, and increase revenue through a hybrid model of AI and human expertise.

This conversation dives into the real operational bottlenecks healthcare providers face today, from missed calls and incomplete patient data to claim denials and compliance challenges, and how AI is transforming the entire revenue cycle.

Bio

“I began my career as a Pharmacist and Quality Assurance professional, where I learned the weight of maintaining perfect standards while caring for patients’ well-being. Balancing, precision, and compassion showed me how demanding healthcare can be. However, in the medical billing world, I witnessed the hidden struggles providers face: endless paperwork, denials, compliance headaches, and financial stress. Their passion was being pulled away from what truly matters, patient care.

Ten years ago, I founded Evocare Billings to make a difference. Our mission is simple: lift the administrative burden, restore clarity, and give providers the freedom to focus on their patients. Over the past decade, we’ve helped countless practices grow, stabilize revenue, and reclaim peace of mind. Evocare isn’t just a billing company; we’re a partner, advocate, and problem-solver, committed to building a healthcare system where providers can thrive.

We continue to innovate, refine, and push the boundaries of what medical billing can be. Because when providers succeed, patients win, and that is the future we are building.“

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/evocare-billing/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/evocare.mb/

Instagram:  https://instagram.com/evocare.it/

https://www.evocarebillings.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Arlen Meyers, President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, to explore the evolving intersection of medicine, business, and innovation.

Dr. Meyers shares his journey from academic surgeon to medtech entrepreneur and explains why traditional medical training leaves a critical gap in business and entrepreneurial education.

The conversation dives into the fundamental mindset shifts physicians must make to succeed in entrepreneurship, the realities of failure and iteration, and why innovation in healthcare requires more than just great ideas.

They also unpack how marketing, sales, and community-building play a crucial role in scaling both businesses and missions, and why AI, while powerful, is not the silver bullet for fixing healthcare.

Bio:

President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameyers/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SoPEVideo/featured

Website:  https://www.sopenet.org

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Tyler Higgins from ClickTrain to unpack what it really takes to build high-performing marketing teams in today’s fast-moving, AI-driven landscape.

Tyler shares how ClickTrain is redefining recruitment by combining performance marketing expertise, data-driven insights, and AI-powered matching to connect businesses with top-tier global talent.

The conversation dives deep into why hiring based on mindset and culture fit often outperforms hiring based on experience alone, and how companies can rethink training, team structure, and visibility strategies to scale effectively.

They also explore how AI is transforming recruitment, from intelligent talent matching to predictive salary benchmarking, and what businesses should be doing now to stay competitive.

Bio

At ClickTrain, I’m all about connecting top-tier Paid Media talent with businesses and agencies ready to scale. We meticulously vet paid media professionals, ensuring brands get the best in the industry to drive real growth. My passion lies in building powerful connections, helping companies find the right talent, and helping professionals land opportunities where they can truly thrive.

From sourcing standout candidates to staying ahead of evolving recruitment strategies, I focus on making the hiring process seamless and practical. As a Talent Director, I’m always sharpening my expertise in talent management, HR operations, and business strategy, ensuring I positively impact the teams I work with.

Let’s connect and build high-performing teams that fuel success! 🔥

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clicktrainplatform/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTbBJxZQwnzJ1f7syOFV9og?reload=9 

Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-higgins-52857415a/ 

Andrew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blochify/

Tyler Instagram: @tyhiggins96

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Theo Crewe-Reed, co-founder of Race Car Classifieds, to explore how he turned a passion for motorsports into a rapidly growing niche marketplace.

At just 24 years old, Theo shares how he and his co-founder built a platform designed specifically for high-caliber race cars by focusing on trust, relationships, and deep industry understanding rather than trying to serve everyone.

This conversation dives into the realities of building in a tight-knit industry, the importance of community-driven growth, and why niching down can actually accelerate traction instead of limiting it.

Bio:

Theo is a co-founder of Racecar Classifieds and is currently launching his second company, a productivity-enhancing software tool. With a background in sales, he later re-skilled as a developer to build his latest venture from the ground up.

He is driven by problem-solving, innovation, and optimisation — themes that run through all of his work. Outside of business and tech, his interests include sport (particularly running), cars, and mathematics.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-crewe-read-866998242/

Website:  www.racecar-classifieds.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Cristin Dickerson, founder of Green Imaging, to unpack the realities behind healthcare pricing, insurance inefficiencies, and how employers and individuals can access high-quality care at a fraction of the cost.

Dr. Dickerson shares her journey from practicing radiologist at the Texas Medical Center to building a nationwide imaging network operating across all 50 states with over 6,000 facilities and 3 million covered lives.

This conversation dives deep into the broken incentives within traditional healthcare, the confusion between health insurance and actual care, and how innovative models like direct primary care and transparent imaging are reshaping the industry.

Bio*

Cristin A. Dickerson is the founding partner of Green Imaging. She is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Dickerson completed her radiology residency at UT Houston, where she was a chief resident, with extensive training in cancer imaging at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Dickerson practiced for 13 years at the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston where she served as a two-term president of the 50 physician clinic and oversaw a self-funded health plan. Her clinical interests include oncologic (cancer) MRI and CT and PET/CT, breast imaging, and cardiac screening.

She founded Green Imaging in 2011 to provide affordable, high-quality medical imaging for uninsured and high-deductible patients in Houston and rapidly expanded the company to provide services throughout most of the US and to employer-sponsored health plans. She loves being able to provide quality services to patients who otherwise couldn’t afford them and delivering significant imaging cost savings to patients with healthcare coverage and their employers without compromising quality. Dr. Dickerson is passionate about spreading the word that patients and employers do have great new nontraditional healthcare coverage options in the fast-growing alternative healthcare market.

Dr. Dickerson serves as a Committee Member on the Independent Practice Committee of the Texas Medical Association, as a Member of the Validation Institute’s Certified Health Value Professional Board, Harris (HCMS) Alternate Delegate to the Texas Medical Association (TMA) House of Delegates, and is a Health Rosetta Benefits Advisor.

Dr. Dickerson’s book, Aligned: How Patients, Physicians, and Employers Are Working Together to Transform Healthcare, was published last year.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristin-dickerson-md-a1a1b013/

Website:  www.greenimaging.net

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Gabor Nemes, founder of Good People Everywhere, to explore what it truly means to build a purpose driven business in today’s world.

This is not just a conversation about startups or visibility.

It is a deep dive into how business can be used as a vehicle for meaning, impact, and real world change.

Gabor shares the story behind Good People Everywhere, a platform built on one simple but powerful belief:

There are good people everywhere, they just need better ways to find each other.

At its core, Good People Everywhere is not just a tech company.

It is a for profit, for purpose business model designed to:

• Connect people through shared values, not surface level interests
  
  
• Reduce loneliness by creating meaningful relationships
  
  
• Empower individuals to take action on real world problems
  
  
• Support nonprofits and impact driven initiatives globally

This episode challenges the traditional idea that businesses exist only to generate revenue.

Bio:

Co-founder & Chief Visionary Officer at Good People Everywhere

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabornemes0822/

Website:  goodpeople.world

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Kevin Stubbs, founder of PubGenius, to talk about what it really takes to build and scale a tech company.

Kevin shares his journey from working at Microsoft to launching startups, experiencing failure, pivoting multiple times, and ultimately building a successful development studio that helps companies bring new products to market faster.

The conversation dives into the realities many founders face when building products, including the importance of validating ideas before investing heavily in development. Kevin also explains why trying to build a “better mousetrap” is often the wrong strategy and how focusing on quality and specialization helped PubGenius stand out in a crowded development market.

Heidi and Kevin explore the challenges of pivoting a business, the lessons learned from early failures, and why speed to market and validation are critical for startups trying to reach product market fit.

Kevin also shares insights from working with companies at every stage, from founders with early ideas to venture backed startups launching new products.

If you are a founder, startup builder, or business leader looking to bring a product to life without wasting time or capital, this episode is packed with practical insights.

Bio*

Kevin has been working as a software developer for 15 years, initially at Microsoft before starting his own startup. pubGENIUS started in ad-tech and pivoted to becoming a development agency where we have found a lot easier successes as well as diverse opportunities to grow with our clients and in some cases even partner with them. When covid started, he became a full-time digital nomad in Europe & Asia and has built & managed an entire remote team ever since.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstubbs2/

http://pubgenius.io/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Verl Workman, founder of Workman Success Systems, to talk about building high performing teams, creating predictable success, and designing a business that supports the life you actually want to live.

Verl shares the powerful story of being fired at age fifty after selling a company he helped build. Instead of seeing it as a setback, he used the moment as a catalyst to build a new company alongside his daughter. That company has since grown into an eight figure business that helps entrepreneurs and real estate professionals build systems for growth, leadership, and profitability.

The conversation explores why greatness is predictable, how referral systems outperform expensive marketing strategies, and why profitability must be the focus for every entrepreneur. Verl also dives into the role of artificial intelligence in coaching, the importance of family and intentional life design, and how entrepreneurs can create businesses that support both financial success and meaningful relationships.

If you are building a business, scaling a team, or searching for a better way to grow without sacrificing your life, this episode is packed with practical insights.

Bio*

Verl Workman is the co-founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems, a business coaching company that specializes in developing high-performing companies and teams, using his unique approach that focuses on the totality of the team or company, developing leaders at every organizational level.

Verl knows that Greatness is Predictable and has built systems, processes, and procedures (tools, training, and trade secrets) to make Greatness Predictable by focusing on the right things, and developing greatness-predicting habits.

As a father of 6, Verl believes that no other success can compensate for failure in the home. His focus on family is such that he co-founded Workman Success Systems with his oldest daughter Brianne to be the kind of place where his family would want to join in and add to the business. He’s succeeded in that: 3 of his 6 children have helped Verl build Workman Success into what it is today.

Verl says his greatest success is measured by how he teaches his clients to have balance in their lives as they grow their businesses. For more than 20 years, Verl has led agents, brokers, and teams with enthusiasm, determination, unashamed optimism, and innovative systems that have

created Greatness that is truly Predictable, building top producers and real estate millionaires who understand what’s really important in life and real estate.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

https://www.instagram.com/workmansuccesssystems/

https://www.facebook.com/WorkmanSuccessSystems/

https://www.facebook.com/VerlWorkmanWSS

https://www.linkedin.com/company/workman-success-systems/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/verlworkman/

https://verlworkman.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk welcomes Kelly Fairbairn, Co Founder, President, and CEO of PPS International Limited. With more than twenty five years of experience in talent development and leadership consulting, Kelly shares insights into how organizations can build stronger leaders and improve performance across teams.

PPS International works globally with organizations to deliver leadership assessments, training programs, and development solutions that help individuals and teams perform at a higher level. Kelly explains how the leadership landscape has evolved over the past two decades and why today’s leaders must develop new skills to navigate uncertainty and rapidly changing environments.

Heidi and Kelly discuss the leadership gaps companies are facing today, how businesses can align leadership development with real business outcomes, and the trends shaping the future of corporate learning. Kelly also shares the strategies PPS uses to maintain strong client relationships, grow through referrals and thought leadership, and adapt to new technologies and hybrid work environments.

If you are a business owner, executive, HR leader, or someone responsible for developing people within your organization, this conversation offers valuable insight into building leadership capacity and driving meaningful organizational growth.

Bio*

Kelly Fairbairn is co-founder, President and CEO of PPS International Limited, a consulting firm that partners with regional and global organizations to build leadership talent through customized training, assessments, coaching and more.

Before co-founding PPS, Kelly was a Director of Human Resources and Manager of Instructional Design for several manufacturing, financial services and technology corporations.

Kelly holds many certifications and she and her team have won awards related to the creation and implementation of learning, including several Brandon Hall, HCM Excellence Awards for Innovative Learning and Development Programs.

PPS International Limited is a nationally certified, Women-Owned Small Business Enterprise, is Ecovadis certified for sustainability and a Fortune 5000-ranked organization.

In addition to her work in talent development, for 20 years, Kelly has served as Vice Chair of the Board for Project HOPE Foundation, a nationally-recognized organization providing a lifespan of services for individuals with autism.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

PPS LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/pps-international-limited

Kelly's LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellylawasfairbairn/

PPS YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ppsinternationallimited-sy4711

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk welcomes Justin Solms, founder of Index Solutions in South Africa. Justin shares his fascinating journey from aerospace engineering and missile guidance systems to building a successful investment management firm powered by advanced technology and machine learning.

Justin explains how his engineering background helped him develop data driven investment strategies that outperform traditional benchmarks while keeping fees low for everyday investors. The conversation dives into how technology is transforming the finance industry, including the role of machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and large scale simulation tools.

Heidi and Justin also explore the realities of building a business over more than a decade, the challenges of marketing highly technical services, and why founders must focus on their zone of genius while bringing in experts to support other areas of growth.

If you are curious about the future of investing, the role of AI in finance, and how technology can empower everyday investors, this episode delivers valuable insights.

Bio:

Experienced software developer and systems engineer with a background spanning

aerospace avionics, quantitative finance, and AI-driven automation. Founder and Chief Investment Officer of a successful investment firm with deep expertise in designing and deploying mission-critical systems using Python, SQLAlchemy, and the scientific stack with a host of other languages. Proven track record in working remotely, independently delivering robust, scalable solutions. Holds a Master's degree in electronic engineering.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinsolms/

Website:  www.indexsolutions.co.za

http://www.itransact.co.za/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Todd Smith, founder of QoreAI, to explore how artificial intelligence and clean data are transforming decision making in the automotive industry.

Todd brings more than 30 years of experience across dealership operations, automotive technology, and entrepreneurship. After exiting his previous company, he began studying dealership workflows and discovered a major inefficiency. Employees were spending roughly thirteen percent of their day simply navigating between systems. Research from the Harvard Business Review suggests this constant switching can add up to five weeks per year of lost productivity.

That discovery became the foundation for QoreAI.

Todd explains how his company focuses on organizing dealership data, improving data hygiene, and creating a reliable data layer that allows AI to generate meaningful insights. Without clean and structured data, AI tools can produce inaccurate outputs, hallucinations, or poor customer experiences.

The conversation dives deep into how businesses can use AI to move from reactive reporting to predictive decision making. Instead of only looking at past results, companies can forecast service demand, customer behavior, and operational needs.

Todd also shares practical insights for entrepreneurs, including how to validate ideas before building products, why listening to customers is critical for growth, and how founders should focus on solving the most broken part of their business at any given time.

For Todd, the future of AI in business is not just automation. It is about capturing organizational knowledge, improving customer experience, and creating smarter systems that help companies operate more efficiently.

Bio*

Todd Smith is a pioneer in automotive technology, transforming how dealerships harness data and AI to drive profitability. As CEO of QoreAI, he’s building the industry’s first AI-powered system of intelligence—turning dealership data into actionable insights that optimize sales, marketing, and operations. Previously, he founded ActivEngage, scaling it into the largest managed chat provider in automotive. He also advises and invests in emerging auto tech as Managing Director of Kyzor.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddlearsmith/

Website:  https://www.qoreai.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

From being gifted a trademark by a patient to building a 20 minute whitening system that competes with industry giants, this conversation dives deep into customer clarity, relationship driven growth, market positioning, AI powered marketing, and resilience over time.

You will also hear the remarkable story behind Dr. Balanoff’s open source Tourette syndrome appliance and how generosity and accessibility have shaped both his business and his life.

Bio:

William L. Balanoff, DDS, MS, FICD, is a seasoned healthcare executive, clinician-scientist, and entrepreneur with decades of leadership experience spanning clinical innovation, enterprise operations, and healthcare transformation. He has served in multiple senior executive roles including President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Clinical Officer, and Chief Medical Director across complex healthcare, dental, and life-science organizations. His career is distinguished by the ability to translate deep clinical expertise into scalable, evidence-based business and care delivery models.

Dr. Balanoff has founded, scaled, and led healthcare companies operating in clinical services, medical devices, oral health products, and laboratory manufacturing, with global distribution and multi-channel go-to-market strategies. As President and CEO of Oral Care Perfected, Inc. and Impact Dental Lab, Inc., he directed product development, manufacturing partnerships, intellectual property strategy, and commercial execution while maintaining rigorous clinical and quality standards. 

Recognized for his leadership in clinical research, medical innovation, and regulatory advancement, Dr. Balanoff has acted as Chief Science Consultant to healthcare technology companies and has guided FDA 510(k) regulatory pathways. He holds multiple U.S. and international patents related to oral appliances and medical devices. His work connects scientific research, product development, and commercialization to ensure that innovation remains both clinically rigorous and commercially sustainable.

He has served as an adjunct professor, visiting lecturer, and clinical instructor in the United States and internationally. He is a published author, an editorial board member for leading clinical journals, and a frequent lecturer on clinical innovation, healthcare strategy, and evidence based practice.

Dr. Balanoff advises boards and executive teams on growth, transformation, and clinical excellence. He is known for building high performing multidisciplinary teams, fostering strategic partnerships, and guiding organizations through innovation while maintaining strong patient outcomes and clinical integrity.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website:  www.smileperfected.com

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-l-balanoff-dds-ms-618b6480/

Dr. Bill’s Phone:  954-683-2693

Smile Perfected Phone:  877-624-6674

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this powerful episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk of HLH Growth Solutions sits down with Maria Edelson, founder of Edelson IO and former executive at Procter & Gamble.

With more than 35 years at Procter and Gamble and over 15,000 professionals trained across 86 countries, Maria shares how she transformed world class corporate sales frameworks into a scalable global training platform that delivers measurable ROI.

This episode dives deep into:

• Why selling is a life skill, not just a job
 • How to overcome resistance from experienced sales teams
 • Why real time case based practice outperforms role playing
 • The secret to sustaining growth in a crowded sales training market
 • How referrals built a global business
 • Why confidence and loving feedback change sales performance
 • What it really takes to stand out in a noisy industry

If you lead a sales organization, run a growing company, or want to improve revenue performance, this conversation is a masterclass in practical, measurable sales excellence.

Bio:

After dedicating 35 years to sales at P&G, I now train sales organizations to sell - to create solutions to solve customer problems so that they achieve consistent, profitable growth.

When I left Procter & Gamble, I was responsible for $1Billion in revenue leading a team of over 250 people.  Now I share what I learned because I found others can benefit.

Fortune 100, midsize and even startups have used our Sales Academy including our ‘Thinking Framework’. The Academy adds tools and skills to even the most experienced sales executive’s toolbox.

We produce results as evidenced by our customers loyalty and longevity – some over 13 years.

In 15 years in business we have:

• trained over 14,000 sales people

• in 86 countries

• worked with over 1 dozed Fortune 100 companies training their global commercial organization

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-edelson-8a36984/

Website:  www.edelson.io

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this powerful episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. David Thompson Jr., founder of the David's Loft Group, an integrated behavioral health organization serving Baltimore City.

From growing up in Park Heights to leading a nearly 60 person team serving over 140 patients daily, Dr. Thompson shares the raw realities of scaling a mission driven healthcare organization. What started as a solo private practice evolved into a fully integrated system offering substance use treatment, mental health care, primary care, psychiatric rehabilitation, residential services, and withdrawal management under one coordinated model.

This conversation explores leadership evolution, accountability, AI in healthcare, infrastructure building, and the hard decisions required to build something sustainable.

Bio:

David H. Thompson Jr., PsyD, LCPC, is a veteran behavioral health executive and clinician with more than 38 years in human services and over 25 years in senior executive leadership. As CEO and Chief Clinical Officer of the David’s Loft Group, with multiple programs and locations throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area.  Dr. Thompson provides strategic and operational direction to an integrated behavioral health organization, overseeing clinical quality, administrative performance, and partnerships across public and private systems of care.

Throughout his career, Dr. Thompson has been repeatedly recruited into high-stakes leadership roles to stabilize complex service systems, improve outcomes, and implement data-driven, results-based accountability. He has led large multidisciplinary workforces, managed budgets ranging from $20 million to $647 million, and guided diverse divisions spanning child welfare, adult services, juvenile justice, entitlement programs, and community-based behavioral health.

Dr. Thompson is widely recognized for building high-performing teams, establishing strong accountability systems, and delivering measurable improvements in care access, safety, permanency, and organizational sustainability. His leadership blends clinical excellence, pragmatic systems reform, and a steady commitment to community-centered outcomes.

Dr. Thompson is neurodiverse, living and thriving with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Thompson was born and raised in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. He attended Baltimore City Public Schools and graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar Community High School. Dr. Thompson holds a doctorate in psychology with a concentration in forensic psychology and behavioral health leadership. He is a licensed clinical professional counselor with additional certifications in forensic counseling. He is the father of four sons, 11, 12, 14, and 35. He is currently a full-time nursing student pursuing licensure requirements to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-h-thompson-jr-psyd-lcpc-ccfc-ccjts-cccjs-670a8923/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/davidsloftclinicalprograms/

Website:  www.davidsloft.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

Check out our AI Assistant Leah:  myhlhgrowthsolutions.com/leah

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Mark Grech, founder and CEO of Pyaza, to explore the future of networking, community building, and digital growth in an increasingly fragmented online world.

Mark shares his journey from leading product and tech in the iGaming industry to building a platform designed to eliminate the chaos of managing multiple networking apps. With deep experience in blockchain, crypto, Web3, and AI, he offers a candid perspective on what is broken in digital marketing today and why community driven growth is the future.

Bio:

A seasoned product expert and emerging tech advisor with over 10 years of experience in the iGaming industry, having worked with leading companies in Product, Marketing, and Technology. His last full-time role was as Chief Product & Technology Officer withing the iGaming industry.

For the past 8 years, Mark has been deeply involved in the Crypto, Blockchain, and Web3 spaces, driving innovation and developing innovate solutions. Mark is also a frequent speaker and moderator at global panel discussions. 

As a versatile leader, Mark is now driving Pyaza, his innovative product idea, towards its full potential.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/m4rkgrech/

https://x.com/m4rkgrech

https://www.facebook.com/m4rkgrech

https://www.instagram.com/m4rkgrech/

https://pyaza.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

The conversation dives deep into AI in healthcare, long term care staffing challenges, regulatory rigor, scaling innovation, and what it really takes to drive adoption in a complex industry.

Bio:

Sathya Elumalai is the Founder and CEO of AIDAR Health, a clinical intelligence company redefining how chronic care and long-term care are delivered. He leads the development of MouthLab, a medical-tricorder–like device that captures multisystem physiological data in under a minute, and the AIDI predictive analytics platform, positioning AIDAR as the foundational data and AI infrastructure for next-generation care automation.

A longtime healthcare innovator and Johns Hopkins–trained public health and business leader, Sathya has built multi-million-dollar initiatives with global health systems, insurers, and corporate partners. His personal experience caring for family members with chronic illness drives his commitment to advancing proactive, data-driven care models. Under his leadership, AIDAR is scaling across long-term care facilities and preparing for its Series A to expand nationally and internationally.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Aidar Health:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/AidarHealth
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Aidar.Health/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AidarHealth/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/aidar/
Twitter https://x.com/AidarHealth

Sathya Elumalai

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sathyaelumalai/
iNSTA - https://www.instagram.com/sathya.elumalai/
X - https://x.com/SathyaElumalai:   
Website:  https://www.aidar.com/


Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/
🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Darshan Honali, founder of i2VC, to explore why deep industry expertise is becoming the true competitive advantage in today’s AI driven startup ecosystem.

Darshan shares how i2VC connects industry experts across healthcare, financial services, renewable energy, space tech, and cybersecurity with venture capital firms and early stage startups. The conversation dives into what is actually driving growth right now, how founders should think about AI beyond the hype, and why narrowing your ideal customer profile accelerates traction.

This episode is a practical guide for founders, operators, and investors who want signal over noise in a rapidly evolving AI market.

Bio:

Darshan Honale is a venture advisor and ecosystem builder working at the intersection of industry expertise, applied AI, and venture capital.

He is the founder of i2VC, a platform focused on helping domain experts across healthcare, finance, energy, and enterprise technology, connect with startups, venture funds, and private capital in meaningful ways.

Darshan advises startups, syndicates early-stage deals, and works closely with founders and investors on go-to-market clarity, capital strategy, and where AI actually creates value beyond the hype. He is particularly passionate about why industry expertise is becoming more important than software alone in an AI-driven world.

He regularly speaks at investor and operator focused events and moderates panels across healthcare, private capital, and emerging technology.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/in/hdarshan

Website:  i2vc.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with David Saadia, Director of Operations at Rove Travel, to explore how luxury hospitality is evolving in a remote first, AI driven world.

Broadcasting from Mexico City, David shares his global hospitality journey, from studying in Switzerland to leading hotel operations across major international cities, and how he transitioned from traditional hotel management into a fast growing luxury property management startup.

This conversation dives into experiential travel, operational excellence, company culture, AI implementation, and what it truly takes to scale a hospitality brand without sacrificing service standards.

Bio:

I was born and raised in Mexico City from a French father and American mother. At 16 I attended a hospitality summer program at Cornell and knew this was the path I wanted. I studied at Les Roches in Switzerland and later completed a Bachelor of Arts in Food and Beverage and Revenue Management at Kendall College in Chicago.

My career has taken me through several countries and brands. I worked in Barcelona at the Ritz Carlton, in New York at the Eventi Hotel, in Thailand, Italy, and Chicago. At 23 I moved to California to run operations for a 93 room hotel, overseeing housekeeping, front office, reporting directly to the General Manager.

After 8 years abroad I moved back to Mexico City to be closer to family and stepped into the startup world. I joined WeWork in its early stage and worked across operations and sales. I eventually led all building openings across Latin America during a period of rapid growth. I later joined Oyo Rooms, where I led Sales Operations and helped build processes for a business development team of around 300 to 400 people.

A few years later, my passion for hospitality brought me back when I got recruited as General Manager at Habitas. I managed their flagship hotel in Tulum and their new property in Bacalar, overseeing about 200 team members and 77 rooms.

A year ago I joined Rove Travel as Director of Operations. I oversee the guest experience across multiple US markets and manage a fully remote concierge team. My work focuses on operational systems, quality control, vendor management, training, and building consistent hospitality standards across our luxury rental portfolio.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rove_travel?igsh=MTZvZDd3bXhtMGgzZg==

Website:  www.rovetravel.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk welcomes Dolapo Adedayo, Founder of Trend Hijacking, to discuss how e-commerce can be repositioned from a side hustle into a structured, cash flowing investment vehicle.

Dolapo shares how his journey began in 2017 when he acquired his first profitable e-commerce business, scaled it, and exited within two years. That experience reshaped his perspective on digital businesses, leading him to build a firm that helps investors buy, scale, and exit profitable e-commerce brands using institutional grade diligence and below market acquisition strategies.

Rather than building from zero, Dolapo advocates skipping the zero to one phase and acquiring businesses that already have product market fit, infrastructure, teams, and cash flow in place. From there, the focus becomes operational optimization, margin expansion, global scalability, and structured exits within one to three years.

Bio:

Dolapo Adedayo is the Founder and Managing Partner of Trend Hijacking, an alternative wealth advisory helping high-net-worth individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs diversify into digital assets, specifically e-commerce businesses, through structured acquisition, growth, and exit strategies.

Under Dolapo’s leadership, Trend Hijacking has developed a proven model designed to create predictable and outsized returns:

- Acquire profitable e-commerce businesses below market value.

- Scale them using performance-driven frameworks to achieve 2–5× revenue growth within 12–24 months.

- Exit at premium multiples of 3–5×, maximizing client ROI.

Unlike traditional brokers, Dolapo and his team operate as buy-side advisors and operators, applying private equity discipline to every phase of the process, from sourcing and evaluation to negotiation, scaling, and exit execution.

Through this model, Dolapo has helped investors generate consistent cash flow, mitigate risk, and build long-term wealth within the rapidly growing $6 trillion e-commerce sector.

His mission is clear: To democratize the strategies used by private equity firms and make them accessible to individual investors seeking to diversify portfolios and build sustainable wealth through digital commerce.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Personal Socials:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adedayo-dolapo/

https://x.com/DolapoAdedayo3

Business Socials:

https://www.youtube.com/@TrendHijackingAcquisition

https://trendhijacking.com/blog

https://trendhijacking.com/ecommerce-businesses-for-sale

Website:  http://trendhijacking.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with James Hamet, CEO and Founder of Vistim Labs, to explore a breakthrough approach to neurological care.

Vistim Labs is tackling one of the biggest challenges in neurology: knowing whether a treatment is actually working. While tools like PET scans and MRIs provide structural information, they are expensive, difficult to access, and not designed for frequent monitoring. James shares how Vistim Labs uses advanced EEG based brain imaging to deliver real time, non radioactive insights into brain function in just 30 minutes.

The conversation dives into how this technology helps physicians personalize treatment plans for conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. With nearly 40 percent of patients potentially receiving therapies that do not produce results, having measurable feedback can dramatically improve outcomes. By providing objective data, doctors can adjust treatment sooner, build trust with patients, and accelerate progress.

James also explains the science behind neurofeedback and how measurable feedback drives neuroplasticity. From retraining fall prevention responses in elderly patients to supporting cognitive recovery, feedback loops are central to measurable improvement in both medicine and performance.

Beyond the science, this episode explores the realities of building a high tech medical company. James discusses regulatory hurdles, insurance reimbursement challenges, long sales cycles, and the importance of humility and generosity in scaling innovation. He shares why scientific conferences have been his most effective growth strategy and how physician education remains a critical focus.

A powerful takeaway from this conversation is that Alzheimer’s disease is not necessarily a hopeless diagnosis. Emerging research and measurable treatment monitoring are changing what is possible.

Key topics covered include

• How EEG based brain imaging compares to PET scans
 • The importance of treatment monitoring in neurology
 • Personalized therapy for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
 • Neurofeedback and brain plasticity
 • FDA approval and reimbursement challenges in medical innovation
 • Scaling a mission driven biotech startup
 • Increasing access to neurological diagnostics across the United States

To learn more or connect with James, visit vistimlabs.com.

If you are a neurologist, physician, patient, or know someone navigating a neurological condition, this episode is one you will want to share.

Bio:

Serial neurotechnology entrepreneur, specialized in brain imaging

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchamet/

Website:  https://vistimlabs.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint: https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

In this high energy episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Yancy Culp, Co Creator and Senior Director of Spartan DEKA, for a powerful conversation that connects fitness, leadership, mindset, and business growth.

Yancy shares his journey from completing a grueling 72 hour Spartan Death Race to helping build a globally recognized fitness competition designed for all levels. What began as a bold idea inside the Spartan ecosystem has evolved into thousands of revenue generating events inside gyms, studios, and fitness communities around the world.

This conversation goes far beyond physical fitness. Yancy explains why movement is foundational to high performance leadership and why training the body directly impacts clarity, decision making, resilience, and long term success in business and life.

Bio:

Yancy Culp is the Co-Creator and Senior Director of Spartan DEKA. A U.S. Navy veteran with more than 30 years in the health, wellness, and fitness industry, Yancy has built a career as a coach, business owner, and team leader. His journey with Spartan began during the 2013 Spartan Death Race, a 72-hour challenge that became a life-changing experience and sparked a lasting friendship and opportunity to work for Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena.

Before joining Spartan and DEKA, Yancy spent over 15 years managing Fixed Base Operator (FBO) aviation facilities and military aviation contracts, leading large-scale operations and service teams on U.S. military bases and civilian airports. During this period and continuing today, he has coached more than 5,000 group exercise classes while managing his own fitness businesses.

Ever the multitasker, Yancy has also developed a long-standing career in the health and wellness space. He serves as the Active Lifestyle Coach for the science-driven nutrition company Humann and as a Master Coach for Get Burly, which offers mental and physical conditioning camps focused on leadership and personal development.

From day one, Yancy’s mission with DEKA has been to create a globally recognized sport for all fitness levels, offering fitness testing experiences that highlight the value of consistent training and caring for what he calls “our beautiful machine - our body.” He believes everyone is an athlete and that we should all train for the ultimate sport: life.

Yancy says:

“My fitness love tank is filled every weekend when I see DEKA gyms around the world hosting events and celebrating fitness with their members and communities. Gym owners are hanging DEKA finisher medals around the necks of first-time testers, elite athletes, and everyone in between. At 4,500+ events and counting, it’s safe to say we’ve created a globally recognized sport for all levels—and we’re just getting started.”

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/yancy-culp-b792b519b/

Instagram: @yancyculp @deka.fit @spartan @dekaeurope 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Kylen Ribeiro, CEO of Defender Shield, to explore the intersection of business growth, digital wellness, leadership, and EMF protection.

Kylen shares the powerful origin story behind Defender Shield, founded by a telecom engineer who discovered the potential health impacts of electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation long before it entered the mainstream conversation. What began as a solution to protect family members from laptop radiation has grown into a global digital wellness brand trusted by health-conscious consumers, parents, and clinicians alike.

This conversation dives deep into EMF exposure, modern technology habits, leadership as a female CEO, education-first marketing, and how companies can scale while staying mission-driven. Kylen also offers practical, no-cost steps listeners can take immediately to reduce EMF exposure in their homes and workplaces.

Whether you’re a business leader, parent, wellness advocate, or simply someone navigating life in a tech-heavy world, this episode delivers insight, clarity, and actionable guidance.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

facebook.com/defendershield

Instagram.com/defendershield 

tiktok.com/defendershield

defendershield.com

https://defendershield.com/pages/bios

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/HeidiSchalk

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Sam Palazzolo, founder of Tip of the Sphere and the Javelin Institute, to unpack what real business growth looks like heading into 2026.

Sam brings decades of experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, consulting at Deloitte, private equity advisory, executive development, and scaling organizations from 25 million to 250 million in revenue. The conversation dives deep into go-to-market strategy, leadership decision making, AI driven growth, and why many companies stall at critical inflection points.

Listeners will learn why most growth challenges are not one size fits all, but often stem from broken sales and marketing systems. Sam explains how his go to market operating system is designed to eliminate spray and pray tactics by creating repeatable market entry points, compressing sales cycles through AI, and building predictable revenue forecasting models.

The episode also explores how leaders can set themselves up for success in the first 100 days in a new role. Sam shares the thinking behind his First 100 Days Play Call Sheet and why waiting too long to take action is one of the most common leadership mistakes.

AI is another major theme throughout the discussion. Sam shares real examples of how AI has allowed his teams to do the work of sixteen people with just two high performers. He also explains why every company needs clear AI policies, internal accountability, and a willingness to test continuously.

The conversation closes with practical advice on referrals, outbound strategy, inbound marketing, and why relying solely on referrals limits growth. Sam also outlines his 2026 plans including 30 day and 90 day scale sprints designed to rapidly accelerate revenue for growth focused organizations.

This episode is a must listen for founders, CEOs, and revenue leaders who want to enter 2026 with clarity, momentum, and a scalable growth system.

Sam's Bio:

Most strategists stop at the whiteboard. I don't.

I'm Sam Palazzolo—and I've been in your seat.

- Led 2 tech startups from $0→$15M→Exit in under 18 months (COO/CRMO)

- Advised a distribution company from $75M→$1B over 13 years

- Run a family office focused on M&A since 2012

- Ex-Deloitte (led billion-dollar retail transformations)

- 8x author ("Leading at the Tip of the Spear" + "50 Scaling Strategies")

Now I serve as Managing Director at Tip of the Spear Ventures and Fractional Chief Strategy Officer to companies scaling from $25M to $500M+.

I don't just advise. I embed. I spend 78% of my time inside high-growth companies driving strategy, execution, and accountability.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/spalazzolo/

https://tipofthespearventures.com/

https://javelininstitute.org/

🎁 Reach out to Sam to get your Business Growth Spotlight listeners a 30 minute working session that includes his First 100 Days Play Call Sheet, a diagnosis of top revenue blockers, and a 45 day acceleration roadmap designed to compress sales cycles by up to 25 percent.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership expert and founder of Berkshire Group, Janet Kendall White, for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to build strong leaders, resilient teams, and sustainable businesses.

Janet shares her journey from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship at a young age, including the mindset shifts required to fully commit to building a business without a back door. With more than 30 years of experience developing leaders across industries, she explains why leadership success always starts with intentionality, emotional intelligence, and communication.

The conversation explores how leadership has fundamentally changed over the past three decades, especially in the wake of COVID, remote work, and ongoing global uncertainty. Janet discusses why many leaders fail when they are promoted based solely on technical skills and how organizations can better support new leaders instead of setting them up for burnout or failure.

Janet also walks through her proprietary leadership development process, including assessments, emotional intelligence mindsets, meeting effectiveness, problem solving, and creating cultures where productive conflict and innovation can thrive. Heidi and Janet dive into the realities of balancing leadership, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and redefining success in different seasons of life.

They also discuss founder-led marketing, the power of referrals when done intentionally, and how Janet rebuilt her visibility after COVID through LinkedIn, speaking, and relationship driven outreach.

The episode concludes with a discussion of Janet’s new book, Unshakable Leadership, and what the next chapter looks like for Berkshire Group, along with a candid reflection on what can hold even the most experienced leaders back.

This episode is a must listen for founders, CEOs, and leaders who want to build stronger cultures, lead with confidence, and create lasting impact.

Bio:

Janet Kendall White is the founder and CEO of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE and WOSB certified, award-winning organization with a three-decade track record of transforming leaders, teams, cultures, and businesses. She is the author of Unshakeable Leadership: A Map for Unlocking Strength, Strategy, and Success and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fortune, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

A sought-after speaker and facilitator locally, nationally, and internationally, Janet helps leaders unlock their potential, enhance emotional intelligence, and create lasting impact. She is a Past President of NAWBO Northeast Ohio, serves on the Board of Directors of the NAWBO National, the Board of Stark State College Foundation, and the Board of Cuyahoga Valley Association of Talent Development.

In her spare time you will find Janet volunteering as a Trailblazer for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, coordinating the scholarship fund for Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 2 or hiking and cycling. 

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/berkshiregroup/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/berkshiregroup

Instagram:  @janetkwhite

Website:  https://berkshiregroupinc.com

Grab her Book:  Amazon.com: Unshakable Leadership: A Map For Unlocking Strength, Strategy, And Success eBook : Kendall White, Janet: Kindle Store

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Victor Penev, founder and CEO of Edamam, to explore the powerful intersection of food, data, AI, and longevity.

Victor shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience and explains how Edamam was built at the crossroads of two passions: nutrition and technology. The conversation dives deep into how structured food and nutrition data powers some of the world’s most recognizable platforms including Amazon Alexa, Food Network, Noom, Microsoft, Nestlé, and The New York Times Cooking.

Together, Heidi and Victor unpack Edamam’s bold mission to help people live to 120 years without chronic illness by treating food as medicine. Victor explains why knowledge and accurate data are essential for better food choices and how AI is transforming that knowledge into intuitive, real time, personalized recommendations through what he calls a personal virtual nutritionist.

The episode also explores how Edamam approaches growth with minimal traditional marketing, relying instead on partnerships, attribution, referrals, and long term thinking. Victor shares candid insights on selling into large enterprises, why persistence beats hype, and how staying focused on mission creates staying power in competitive markets.

Victor closes with leadership lessons from mentoring over 200 companies, emphasizing passion, patience, and leading from behind as the keys to building purpose driven businesses that last.

This episode is a must listen for founders, health tech leaders, and anyone curious about how AI, nutrition, and data are shaping the future of healthcare and longevity.

Bio:

Victor Penev is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Edamam. He is also a mentor and investor in food technology startups and advises early stage entrepreneurs. 

Previous to Edamam, Victor co-founded and sold Bulgaria’s largest Internet Company, NetInfo BG. Victor Penev also ran the international digital business of Playboy Enterprises, and was instrumental in starting the digital marketing efforts of BMG and in creating key e-commerce capability for Bertelsmann’s book clubs. 

Victor holds a MBA from Stanford.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/edamam/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorpenev/

Website:  https://www.edamam.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight host Heidi Schalk cofounder of HLH Growth Solutions sits down with Elvan Baker VP of Client Experience and Clinical Strategy at Rubato Life. Elvan shares her journey from hands-on speech therapy into executive leadership within a fast growing health tech startup and offers an honest look at leadership growth, burnout, resilience and innovation in healthcare.

The conversation explores how Rubato Life is transforming dementia care through a music based non pharmacological intervention designed to reduce stress agitation and behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s related diagnoses. Elvan explains how evidence based research transparency and clinician trust are central to scaling healthcare innovation successfully.

Listeners will gain insight into leadership as a woman immigrant in healthcare, the importance of internal company culture, the realities of startup growth and how clarity, transparency and alignment drive long term success. Elvan also shares deeply personal advice for women navigating career pivots burnout and ambition while balancing life priorities.

This episode is a must listen for healthcare leaders, founders clinicians and growth stage executives looking to scale with integrity, innovation and purpose.

Bio:  

Personal- born in San Jose, CA, fully grew up in Turkey, moved to US for college, stayed for grad school, married to a fellow therapist with a 2 year old daughter, live on an inland lake in Northern Michigan after having lived in CA, MT, CO 

Professional- my linkedin bio is super accurate for reference, clinician to corporate management ladder, pivoted out of bedside clinical work, to corporate compliance/clinical roles and now I am a part of the Team 1 management team for a health tech startup  as a VP of Client Experience and Clinical Strategies

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvan-baker-ms-ccc-slp-cbis-466a3568/

https://www.rubato.life/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Carlos Elizondo, founder of Elizondo Medical Group, to explore what it really takes to build and scale a private medical practice while staying deeply rooted in patient care.

Dr. Carlos shares his journey from growing up in a family of physicians to expanding a solo practice into three thriving clinic locations serving underserved communities across Texas. He opens up about the realities physicians face when they step into entrepreneurship, including financial pressure, billing complexity, staffing challenges, and the emotional toll of burnout.

This conversation goes beyond medicine and into leadership, mindset, and systems. Dr. Carlos explains how acknowledging burnout became a turning point in his life and business, why emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill for physicians, and how coaching helped him transition from doing everything himself to building scalable systems that support people, not just profits.

You will hear why primary care is at the heart of healthcare, how nurse practitioners and physician assistants are shaping the future of medicine, and why consistency, training, and culture are essential for scaling without losing quality.

Dr. Carlos also shares what is working for visibility and patient education through video content and podcast guesting, why giving away knowledge creates greater impact, and how his long term vision includes expanding access to care through systemized clinics and well trained teams.

This episode is a must listen for physicians, healthcare leaders, and founders navigating growth, burnout, and the challenge of balancing purpose with profitability.

Bio

Dr. Carlos Rafael Elizondo is a family physician, entrepreneur, and leadership-driven changemaker redefining how primary care is delivered in America. After experiencing burnout early in his career, he transformed his life and practice around a simple principle: true healing begins with balance, purpose, and growth.

Today, Dr. Elizondo blends medicine, mindfulness, and business strategy to inspire others to lead from the inside out. His journey, from running a small-town clinic to building a thriving, people-centered healthcare organization, reflects his belief that systems and culture, not just medicine, create lasting wellness. Whether mentoring young leaders, building scalable models of care, or speaking about transformation and leadership, Dr. Elizondo’s mission is to help others grow without losing themselves in the process.

Beyond medicine and leadership, Dr. Elizondo is a devoted husband of 25 years, a proud father of three sons—ages 24, 20, and 3—and a joyful grandfather to a 2-year-old granddaughter who reminds him daily of what matters most: family, love, and legacy.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Facebook:   https://m.facebook.com/carlos.elizondo.353/

Instagram:  @celizondo4488

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarloselizondo?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Website:  elizondomedicalgroup.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Daniel Story, founder of HomeJoy of Kalamazoo, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a care based business without sacrificing quality, trust, or humanity.

Daniel shares how his 30 year career as a registered nurse shaped the way he built Homejoy and why caring has always come before systems, safety checklists, or scale. From starting the business with fifty dollars and a PO box to leading more than one hundred employees across multiple locations, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the operational realities of home care and service based businesses.

You will hear how Daniel navigated economic downturns, near business failure, and capacity challenges by leaning into mentorship, systems, and core values. He explains why communication breakdowns are the most expensive mistakes businesses make, how technology and automation support growth, and why culture is the only way to scale people-led organizations.

Daniel also shares what has not worked, including referral middlemen and misaligned marketing spend, and why deep community relationships continue to be Homejoy’s strongest growth driver.

The conversation closes with a look at what is next for Homejoy, including the expansion into professional housekeeping services and Daniel’s upcoming book on compassion, conflict, and leadership in healthcare.

This episode is a must listen for founders, operators, and service based business owners who are growing fast and want to do it the right way.

Bio: 

Daniel Story has been the CEO of HomeJoy of Kalamazoo for over 20 years. HomeJoy has bought out two competitors, received Best of Care awards for employment and for client care, it has been on the Inc 5000 list, a Michigan 50 company to watch list, and has had other local awards. Outside of running HomeJoy Daniel has been the owner of a Property Management company and has established and later sold an assisted living and a non-profit organization serving the needs of persons with dementia. He is currently writing a book which is aimed at helping the healthcare industry deal with difficult behaviors which our patients often demonstrate during their engagement with our services.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-story-362a921a/

Website:  HomeJoy.care

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Toby from 3Helix to explore how biotech startups move from breakthrough science to real world commercialization. Toby shares his journey as an MD MBA leader navigating venture capital, startup strategy, and regulatory complexity while helping 3Helix pioneer extracellular matrix based therapies that target disease by changing the cellular environment.

This conversation dives deep into startup strategy, physician leadership, go to market execution, and why credibility matters more than trying to do everything at once. It is a masterclass in how innovation, discipline, and strategic focus drive sustainable growth in highly regulated industries.

Bio:

Toby is a Physician, Investor, and Entrepreneur specializing in healthcare who works closely with early-stage teams leveraging broad networks and experience to help them minimize risk and maximize value. Toby brings a perspective drawn from his experience as a provider but also from his work with payers, investors, and Innovators. He was a member of Centene’s international division where he researched and implemented value based care initiatives in the Middle East, South America, the UK, and Southeast Asia, served in roles like Vice President of Business Development, Chief, Medical Officer, and Chief Operations Officer at start-ups across digital health, biotech, med device, gene therapy, and health tech, and has investing experience across angel, Venture, and private equity. He currently sits on the physician advisory boards of several Venture funds in the Chicago area in addition to being a founding partner at Syndicate Health Healthcare Operations Consulting. Toby holds an MD from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg school of management.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-barrack-md-mba-5a1478104

Website:  3Helix.com

Email:  barrackt@wustl.edu

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. John Oberg, founder of John Oberg Advisory, to explore what truly drives sustainable organizational growth. With decades of experience as a CEO, advisor, and healthcare innovator, Dr. Oberg shares powerful insights on the intersection of people, performance, and leadership.

The conversation dives deep into why responsibility and accountability are only the starting point for healthy professional relationships and how radical acceptance, trust, vulnerability, and empathy create the foundation for high performing teams. Dr. Oberg also challenges common misconceptions around authenticity and transparency in leadership, explaining why context and emotional maturity matter more than oversharing.

Listeners will gain practical guidance on first line management, uncover common executive blind spots, and learn how to apply the right tools for coaching, accountability, and growth. The episode also explores scaling strategies, referral driven growth, and how leaders should think about AI as a lever for personalization rather than a shortcut.

Dr. Oberg closes by sharing his vision for the future of advisory work, healthcare innovation, and why empathy may be the most undervalued leadership skill in business today.

Bio:

John Oberg is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, Professor, and Investor trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded Precina Health with Dr. Dustyn Williams and have developed the key to solving Type 2 Diabetes. 

Previously, John founded another Austin-based healthcare innovator, Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization (#193 on Inc 500). John serves on the board of directors of OnlineMedEd (which writes curricula for Medical and Physician’s Assistant schools globally) and Health Admins (Healthcare Business Process Outsourcing). Through John Oberg Advisory, John advises large institutions, healthcare industry leaders, professional services firms, and nonprofits. John received his doctorate from the University of Southern California (Social Work) and his MBA from the University of New Mexico (Policy & Planning and Management of Technology). He is currently an adjunct professor at USC. He has authored patents, started companies, and managed teams larger than 1,000 people. Over the last three decades, he has studied the behavior of individuals, communities, and systems. 

John was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He currently lives with his family in Austin, where he engages in many outdoor activities. When traveling, he also enjoys SCUBA diving and golf and has recently taken to hunting and fishing. He holds a second-degree black belt in orthodox karate.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnoberg/

Website:  http://johnoberg.com/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, welcomes Alex Brueckmann, Founder of Brueckmann Strategy Consultants, for a deep conversation on what strategy truly is and why so many organizations struggle to turn it into results. Alex draws from his experience building multiple international consulting firms to explain why strategy is often misunderstood and confused with planning or budgeting, and how that confusion creates execution breakdowns at the leadership level.

Throughout the conversation, Alex introduces his Nine Elements of Organizational Identity framework and explains how strategy must be anchored in a company’s identity to be effective. He shares why culture, strategy, and execution cannot be treated as separate initiatives, and how leadership clarity directly impacts an organization’s ability to make decisions, align teams, and follow through. The discussion also addresses common leadership gaps that derail strategy implementation, including a lack of shared language, unclear priorities, and misaligned incentives.

The episode also explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in business. Alex explains why AI is not a strategy in itself and cautions leaders against chasing technology trends without a clear strategic purpose. Instead, he outlines how AI can be used responsibly as a tool to support and accelerate strategy execution without replacing human judgment or decision-making.

In addition to strategy and leadership, Alex shares how he has grown his consulting business by focusing on education-driven marketing through podcast guesting and LinkedIn thought leadership rather than relying on ads or outbound outreach. He reflects on how clarity, consistency, and long-term thinking have shaped his growth, along with the personal values that guide his decisions as a founder and parent.

Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding that strategy is fundamentally about making choices, not assembling project lists, and that culture is the result of leadership behavior rather than a standalone initiative. The episode reinforces that execution breaks down when strategy is unclear or poorly communicated, and that sustainable growth requires focus, alignment, and sufficient runway to experiment and evolve.

Bio:

Alex Brueckmann is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Strategy Legacy, which introduces the Nine Elements of Organizational Identity (9EOI), and creator of the 9EOI strategy certification for leaders. Brueckmann is a strategy master facilitator, executive coach for leadership teams, and keynote speaker. 

He has impacted thousands of business leaders across the world, from multinationals to start-ups. He holds degrees and certificates in management, leadership, and strategy from EBS European Business School (Germany), INSEAD (France), and Harvard Business School (USA). 

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderbrueckmann/

Website:  https://brueckmann.ca/

https://9eoi.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Darren Klugman, physician leader and executive at CalmWave, to explore how AI is transforming patient safety and hospital operations in the ICU. Drawing from nearly two decades in pediatric cardiac critical care, Darren shares firsthand insight into one of healthcare’s most persistent and dangerous challenges: alarm fatigue.

The conversation dives deep into why ICU noise is not just an annoyance, but a serious patient safety risk, how imprecise monitoring erodes clinician trust in alarms, and how CalmWave’s AI-driven platform is reducing non-actionable alarms by up to 58 percent. Darren also explains why physician leadership is critical in health tech startups, what non-clinical founders often miss, and how real innovation in healthcare must be results-driven, not hype-driven.

This episode is a must-listen for healthcare leaders, health tech founders, hospital executives, and anyone interested in how AI can meaningfully improve patient outcomes while reducing clinician burnout.

Bio:

Darren Klugman, MD has two decades of clinical and hospital leadership and is driven by passion for elevating patient outcomes through strategic thinking, data analytics, and a team-first approach. His background in pediatric cardiac intensive care has shown that real progress happens when teams rally around a common goal, and he believes in building a culture where people, processes, and data blend together to develop solutions and deliver unparalleled results.

Darren is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at CalmWave, a unique AI platform fusing siloed hospital data to improve patient safety and operations in the ICU.  He is also a sought out advisor and consultant to a number of early phase start ups and drug development companies.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/darrenklugmanmd

Website:  https://calmwave.ai/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Valeria Torres for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation on leadership, resilience, branding, and the psychology behind sustainable business growth.

Valeria shares her journey from immigrating to the U.S. at a young age to building a career in the legal industry and ultimately pioneering a niche at the intersection of executive leadership and industrial organizational psychology. As a Director of Operations at 8 Figure Firm Consulting, Valeria helps law firms scale into true businesses, while her personal brand, ValeriaTorres.io, supports executives navigating burnout, identity, and high-performance leadership.

This conversation goes far beyond tactics. Together, Heidi and Valeria unpack what it really means to build a business that aligns with your strengths, why perfection is the enemy of growth, and how personal branding has become a critical driver of trust and differentiation in both B2B and B2C markets.

Listeners will walk away with practical insights on why multitasking is a myth, how to reframe failure as fuel for growth, and why defining success on your own terms is essential for long-term impact.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-torres-/

Website:  https://valeriatorres.io/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Raja Danish, Co Founder and CEO of Wise Medical Billing, to unpack the real challenges healthcare providers face with revenue cycle management and medical billing accuracy. Raja shares insights from his background in operations and healthcare, highlighting how inefficient processes, lack of KPI tracking, and outdated billing practices directly impact cash flow and patient experience.

The conversation explores common billing mistakes, the role of automation and AI in modern medical billing, and why providers must either learn their numbers or partner with experts who can help them scale sustainably. Raja also breaks down the importance of benchmarking performance, reducing denial rates, and building tailored billing strategies instead of one size fits all solutions.

This episode is a must listen for healthcare practitioners and practice owners who want to improve revenue realization, streamline operations, and focus more on patient care while ensuring their business remains financially healthy.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajadanish/

Website:  WiseMedicalBilling.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Scott Stout, CEO of MedVector, to unpack one of the biggest bottlenecks in modern medicine. Patient recruitment for clinical trials.

Scott shares how outdated recruitment methods like billboards and generic digital ads are slowing innovation and delaying life changing treatments by years. He explains the complex tension between FDA requirements and HIPAA privacy laws and why this has created a broken multibillion dollar sub industry.

You will learn how MedVector is rethinking the entire clinical trial model by putting physicians back at the center of the process and leveraging telemedicine to unlock access, improve diversity, and dramatically reduce patient leakage. Scott also walks through his unconventional journey from finance and wealth management into healthcare innovation and how one simple question sparked the creation of MedVector.

This conversation dives into decentralized clinical trials, the cultural resistance within pharma, why adoption is harder than technology, and what the next three to five years will look like for remote and hybrid trial models.

If you are interested in healthcare innovation, clinical research, patient access, or scaling a marketplace driven business, this episode offers powerful insights from the front lines.

Bio: 

Scott Stout is the Founder & CEO of MedVector, a company revolutionizing how clinical trial sites collaborate with local doctors. The result unlocks access to advanced medicine for millions of patients otherwise trapped behind treating physicians who don't refer patients to clinical trials.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-stout-01992653/

Website:  www.MedVector.com

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Lisa Doehnert of Ease Learning to explore how organizations can scale adult learning programs without sacrificing quality, learner engagement, or integrity.

With over 20 years of experience in EdTech and adult learning, Lisa shares deep insights into instructional design, skills-based learning, workforce development, and the evolving role of AI in education. The conversation also highlights Ease Learning’s mission-driven approach, including its Freedom Talent Network that empowers military spouses and transitioning veterans through meaningful remote work opportunities.

This episode is a must-listen for education leaders, corporate training teams, workforce development professionals, and organizations navigating skills gaps, online learning design, and rapid program scaling.

Bio:

Lisa has dedicated her entire career to improving learner outcomes at scale. She spent the last 17 years working with custom educational content development teams on K-12 projects, accepting leadership positions along the way that included directing project management and operations for adult learners. Her leadership and oversight of several key accounts resulted in the development of multiple innovative programs, a robust library of market-leading free and open higher ed textbooks, and high-quality online programs with distinguished faculty at institutions such as NYU, Tulane, and Johns Hopkins. In 2022, she completed her MBA and pivoted to a career in business development. Determined to meet any budget, schedule, or learning challenge, Lisa is passionate about being a go-to solution for her clients and bringing teams together to achieve goals through creative problem-solving and workflow efficiencies.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldoehnert/

Website:  https://easelearning.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Maura Mitchell, Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Services at the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC). As we step into 2026, the conversation explores what it truly takes to start and scale a business without burning out, overspending, or going it alone.

Maura shares how the WBDC has supported entrepreneurs for nearly 40 years by providing access to capital, contracts, and connections. She breaks down why traditional business plans often fail early-stage founders and explains how the Lean Startup Method and the Business Model Canvas create faster clarity with far less risk.

The discussion also goes deeper into the human side of entrepreneurship. Maura opens up about how personal loss reshaped the way she advises business owners, why holding space matters, and how stillness can unlock clarity, creativity, and sustainable growth. Together, Heidi and Maura challenge hustle culture, emphasize market validation over perfection, and invite listeners to define success on their own terms.

This episode is a must-listen for founders, solopreneurs, and advisors who want to build profitable businesses that actually fit their lives.

Bio:

Maura helps entrepreneurs navigate the hardest parts of starting and growing a business with honesty, curiosity, and a deep understanding of what it means to keep going after profound loss. After losing her husband and best friend, Duncan, she learned firsthand how to lead with both courage and tenderness.

Now, she guides others through moments of uncertainty, whether they’re launching something new or scaling a business that no longer fits who they’ve become. Her approach blends strategy with stillness, vision with vulnerability. She reminds entrepreneurs they don’t need all the answers to begin. They just need to take one brave, honest step forward.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellmaura/

Website:  www.wbdc.org

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Clayton Swalstad, President of Integrated Psych Solutions, to explore how purpose-driven leadership and operational strategy can transform mental health care delivery at scale.

Clayton shares his unconventional journey from high school dropout to Air Force veteran, healthcare executive, and mental health advocate. He explains how Integrated Psych Solutions evolved from a small inpatient psychology service into a multi-state organization providing acute, outpatient, tele-mental health, school-based services, and correctional facility support across Georgia and Florida.

The conversation dives deep into what differentiates their integrated care model, including embedding therapists directly into hospital settings, extending care beyond discharge, and addressing underserved populations through partnerships with hospitals, FQHCs, schools, and county jail systems.

Clayton also discusses the realities of scaling a healthcare organization, navigating staffing challenges post-pandemic, building payer and hospital relationships, securing sustainable funding, and preventing clinician burnout through intentional culture and leadership.

This episode highlights how mission, systems, and strategic growth can coexist while making a measurable impact on mental health outcomes for patients, families, and communities.

Bio:

Clayton Swalstad joined Integrated Psych Solutions in 2021. He has 28 years of senior management experience in hospital and physician network operations.

Prior to joining IPS, Clayton served in several senior inpatient medicine and operations roles with Parkview Physicians Group, Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and EmCare, Inc. and has held several executive leadership roles managing physician networks at Florida companies like Open MRI of Orlando, Medical Management Options, Inc., and PainCARE Management Services, Inc.

A member of the American College of Medical Practice Executives, Clayton is a Certified Medical Practice Executive and a member of the Medical Group Managers Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been recognized as a Fellow by the Society of Hospitalist Medicine. Clayton holds a Masters Degree in Management from Troy University and a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University.

Clayton served with distinction in the US Air Force, working on six continents while receiving multiple decorations and awards, including three Meritorious Service Medals, three Air Force Commendation Medals, an Air Force Achievement Medal, five Humanitarian Service Medals, and a National Defense Service Medal with a Bronze Star cluster for service from Viet Nam to Desert Storm.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/clayton-swalstad

Website:  Integrated Healthcare & Mental Health Solutions | Integrated Psych Solutions

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, co-founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Chris Brown, owner of Abbey Senior Health, to explore what truly drives excellence in senior care while building a sustainable, mission-driven business.

Chris shares his 35-year journey in healthcare, from rehabilitating struggling nursing homes to leading a person-centered senior living organization rooted in dignity, purpose, and community. Drawing on his background in healthcare administration and ministry, Chris explains why senior living must focus on the whole person by addressing mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being, not just clinical needs.

The conversation dives into the realities families face when deciding between aging at home versus senior living communities, the importance of socialization and purposeful living, and why waiting too long to make care decisions can limit options. Chris also discusses how Abbey Senior Health stands out in a competitive market through exceptional care, strong staff culture, and word-of-mouth referrals rather than flashy advertising.

This episode offers valuable insights for families navigating senior care decisions, healthcare leaders, and business owners who want to scale with integrity while preparing for the coming wave of baby boomers entering senior living.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrown78/

Website:   https://www.abbeyseniorhealth.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Ben shares his career journey from documentary filmmaking to media production, talent agencies, FAST channels, and now Fanserv, where he works at the intersection of sports, ad tech, and programmatic advertising. With firsthand experience across legacy media and modern streaming platforms, Ben offers a clear, insider perspective on where the industry is headed.

The conversation explores the major shifts in how audiences consume content, including the rise of smart TVs, streaming adoption accelerated by COVID, and the growing dominance of short-form and on-demand viewing. Ben breaks down why live sports remain the most valuable asset in media, driving subscriber growth, advertising revenue, and platform differentiation.

Heidi and Ben also dive into the economics of streaming, including subscription fatigue, bundling strategies, advertising-supported models, and why profitability has become the new priority for major platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+. Ben explains why loyalty today is tied to content, not platforms, and what that means for retention and churn.

The episode further examines how streaming platforms are standing out in an increasingly competitive market, from eventized content and niche positioning to strategic rights acquisitions and targeted audience strategies. Ben draws parallels between streaming platforms and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of focus, clarity, and building for the long term.

Ben closes by sharing what he’s building next at Fanserv and offers a grounded reminder about leadership, resilience, and maintaining perspective in business and career growth.

This episode is a must-listen for founders, marketers, media professionals, and business leaders interested in streaming, sports media, advertising innovation, and modern visibility strategies.

Bio:  

Ben Goodfriend cites storytelling as the common denominator of his career. A media and ad tech executive, Ben got his start in the non-scripted television department of William Morris Endeavor, where he focused on sports media. He then joined Amagi, the leading software provider in free ad supported television (FAST), helping to build the company's advertising business. Currently, Ben is the VP of Demand Partnerships at Fanserv, a sports-only private marketplace specializing in the monetization of premium live sports streaming across the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and more.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengoodfriend/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk welcomes Cindy Terapak, Co Founder and Chief People Officer of CertainlyCX, for a powerful conversation on building a people first, global customer experience organization.

Cindy shares her journey from retail and human resources into launching CertainlyCX, a BPO designed to support both employees and clients with flexibility, care, and intention. With more than 150 team members across 10 countries, she explains how consistent communication, lived values, and active listening help create strong culture and low attrition in a fully remote environment.

The conversation also explores how CertainlyCX stands out in a crowded market, balances human talent with AI, and prepares for future growth while continuing to invest in leadership development.

This episode offers practical insight for founders and leaders focused on scaling teams, strengthening culture, and building sustainable growth.

Bio:

Growing up in a mobile military family exposed her to diverse cultures worldwide, shaping the empathetic leadership perspective she brings to her work today. With over twenty years of experience in retail, customer service, and human resources, Cindy understands what it takes to build teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences while driving business results.

Cindy builds high-performing CX teams that reduce attrition, grow loyalty & revenue, lower costs, and enable smooth scaling for B2B, B2C & DTC brands.

When she's not scaling CX operations, you'll find Cindy spending time with her kids, cooking, practicing yoga, and reading. She's also passionate about giving back to her community through her involvement with a local food pantry and serving on her city's food council.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainly-cx/?viewAsMember=true

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-terapak-shrm-cp/

Website:  https://www.certainlycx.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Matt Yaari, Founder of My Family Home Care, to explore what it truly takes to build a purpose driven service business while scaling operations responsibly.

Matt shares his journey of launching a senior home care company during the uncertainty of 2020 and how his background in caregiving, psychology, and human behavior shaped his leadership approach. He explains why personalized care, family level trust, and founder involvement have been core to My Family Home Care’s growth.

The conversation dives into how the company balances hands on care with operational systems, including the thoughtful implementation of AI to support scheduling, caregiver coverage, and future in home safety monitoring. Matt also discusses the expansion of services such as dementia care, fall prevention, and music therapy, all driven by real family needs rather than trends.

Listeners will gain insight into how relationship based marketing, community networking, and educational visibility strategies have helped My Family Home Care stand out in a competitive market. Matt also shares lessons learned from early startup challenges, building a reliable on call caregiver system, and what success looks like as the company approaches seven figure revenue.

This episode is a must listen for founders building service based businesses, leaders navigating growth with heart, and families seeking compassionate guidance for caring for aging loved ones.

Bio:

Matt is a Detroit based entrepreneur, launching My Family Home Care in 2020 to meet the needs of senior citizens in his community. When not working on his business, Matt practices Jiu Jitsu and standup comedy.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyaari/

Website:  www.myfamhc.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk speaks with Pam Boney, Founder of Tilt 365, about why effective leadership development goes far beyond personality labels. Pam shares how true growth comes from understanding character, self awareness, and the ability to adapt behavior based on context.

Pam reflects on her transition from senior leadership at Hilton to building a global assessment and certification company that serves coaches and organizations worldwide. The conversation explores how Tilt 365 helps individuals and teams develop trust, psychological safety, and agility using science backed insights rather than opinion driven feedback.

This episode also highlights the realities of growing a long standing business in a changing market, including when to simplify, pivot, and let go of products that no longer serve. Pam offers an honest perspective on visibility, lead generation, and what it takes to remain relevant in a crowded coaching industry.

Bio:

Founder and CEO of Tilt365.com, a designer and builder of fast, innovative assessments that grow character strengths, agility and generativity in people, teams and culture.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tilt365/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/pamboneyceo/ 

Website:  https://www.tilt365.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Janine Klein, Founder of the Emotional Intelligence Institute (EII), to explore one of the most unconventional and impactful intersections of business, technology, and human connection.

Janine shares her remarkable journey from professional actress to CEO, revealing how storytelling, improvisation, and emotional intelligence became the foundation of a powerful training platform used by the U.S. military and Department of Defense. By blending live actors, CGI avatars, and immersive role play, EII helps leaders and service members rehearse the hardest conversations before they have to live them.

This conversation goes far beyond business as usual. Together, Heidi and Janine unpack fear, intuition, leadership identity, the role of AI in sensitive training environments, and why humans must remain at the center of emotionally complex conversations.

Bio:

Janine Klein is a dynamic professional with over 40 years of experience as an actress, director,medical recruiter, and improviser. Her expertise lies in blending the talents of military professionals, diverse improvisational actors, and skilled writers to create groundbreaking training environments. As a trauma survivor, she used those experiences to create empathetic communication through performance, she is celebrated for her ability to handle complex material with emotional authenticity and depth.

Janine is the CEO and founder of the Emotional Intelligence Institute (Eii), where she

collaborates with Air Force and First Responder clients and diverse organizations to deliver impactful training.

Her contributions include developing AF-specific human-domain scenarios, designing

leadership education curricula, and utilizing MRLS technology for educational purposes. Janine has personally executed over 3000 hours of AF MRLS training and facilitated more than 300 tailored scenarios for audiences ranging from one to 500 attendees.

Renowned for her improvisational techniques and character development, she excels at

creating compelling scenarios that align with client objectives. Her work encompasses

curriculum design, public speaking, EQ workshops, MBTI training, and high-level military

meetings.

Janine’s has performed internationally, from Scotland to New Zealand and across the United States, including off-Broadway appearances in New York City, as well as roles in commercials and films. Her accolades include a 2018 Best

Actress nomination from the Orlando Sentinel, a Broadway World Vocalist of the Decade

nomination, and 10 Fringe Patron Pick Awards in her hometown for standout performances overtwo decades. Most recently was nominated regionally for an MTA award for Best Actress in 2024 for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes in Stephen King's "Misery".

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-klein/

Website:  www.eiieq.com

Email:  Janine@eiieq.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Anton Volkov, Co-Founder of Solvery, to unpack his entrepreneurial journey, from launching an unconventional tech school for kids to building a B2B HR-tech platform serving banks and enterprise organizations. Anton shares hard-earned lessons on mentorship, B2B sales, market education, focus, and how Solvery is expanding its platform with AI to future-proof employee development and learning systems.

This conversation is a masterclass in building trust-based B2B growth, leveraging networks, and evolving alongside your customers.

Bio*

I'm 35 and for the last 13 years I work in EdTech.

Currently i'm the Co-founder & CEO at Solvery. We help companies grow their metrics by integrating the new generation HR-tools: AI-bots, peer-2-peer learning, smart helpers and etc.

At first Solvery was just a marketplace with tech mentors for not-business customers. Now we have our own enterprise platform and work with top market leaders among banks, classified and e-com, resource and tech companies. 

More about me:

- first business with friends (dance school) at 18

- worked as Event project Lead at one of the Top marketing agencies in Saint Petersburg

- for 9 years we've run Digital Banana: tech school for high-school kids where we had over 400 students/ 3 spots and partnered with tech companies

- at 26 learned to code and became a Frontend Team Lead in a fintech company

- for the last 3 years developing the B2B branch in Solvery

- all that time was also have a running community in Moscow with 300+ participants from tech and other companies. Each Sunday we ran, network and breakfast together in different beautiful spots in the city

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyantonvolkov/

Website:  https://solvery.space/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Sean Lee, CEO of OpenDrives, to explore what it really takes to scale a technology company by leading with service, trust, and deep customer understanding.

Sean shares his unique journey from OpenDrives customer to CEO, detailing how his background in media and entertainment technology shaped his people-first leadership style. Drawing from over 20 years in Hollywood and a decade inside OpenDrives, he explains why the company is not just a data storage provider, but a workflow enablement partner focused on helping creatives stay in their flow.

The conversation dives into how OpenDrives supports high-performance media workflows for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including powering massive global events like the FIFA World Cup. Sean explains the real business problems OpenDrives solves, why performance and simplicity matter so deeply to creative teams, and how honest, consultative selling has helped the company stand out against billion-dollar competitors.

Sean also introduces Astraeus, OpenDrives’ newest platform designed to extend beyond storage into on-prem hyperscale infrastructure management. He shares why this launch represents a major evolution for the company and how it opens the door to new industries beyond media and entertainment.

Throughout the episode, Sean offers candid insights on leadership, resilience, hiring for cultural alignment, managing growth responsibly, and why effectiveness matters more than size. He closes by sharing how relationship-driven visibility, in-person events, and authenticity continue to fuel OpenDrives’ growth.

This episode is packed with real-world lessons for founders, operators, and technology leaders who want to scale sustainably while staying deeply connected to the people they serve.

Bio*

Sean Lee is the CEO of OpenDrives, where he leads with a belief that true leadership is about service, purpose, and empowering others. With more than 25 years in media, entertainment, and technology—including roles at Universal Studios, Illumination Entertainment, and AV Squad, where he first experienced OpenDrives as a customer—Sean brings a unique customer-first perspective to innovation. At OpenDrives, he focuses on building cultures of trust, aligning teams around shared values, and delivering scalable solutions that allow people and organizations to do their best work.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanalexanderlee

Website:  https://opendrives.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Ron Pereira, co-founder of Gemba Academy, to explore the journey behind one of the most respected continuous improvement training platforms in the world. Ron shares how a simple idea between three Lean and Six Sigma practitioners grew into a global subscription based learning platform with thousands of videos and customers worldwide.

Listeners will hear how Gemba Academy began with a spare bedroom studio, a green screen, a budget camera, and a willingness to experiment. Ron discusses his transition from corporate engineer to entrepreneur, the early challenges of launching video training before online learning was mainstream, and the partnership dynamics that made the company possible.

The conversation dives into Lean and Six Sigma fundamentals, the value of continuous improvement, and why operational excellence is a long term investment rather than a quick fix. Ron shares insights on microlearning trends, leadership development, certification programs, and how companies can see measurable performance gains through process improvement.

This episode offers practical guidance for business leaders, operators, and teams focused on growth, efficiency, and scalable learning.

Bio

I am a co-founder of Gemba Academy LLC (http://gembaacademy.com). I currently serve as Managing Director of the company.

I have more than 30 years of experience working in operations, engineering, supply chain, and continuous improvement (Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma). 

I've also personally trained and mentored thousands of individuals across the world in both the lean and six sigma methodologies.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gembaron/

Website:  www.gembaacademy.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Don Martelli, VP of Integrated Marketing & Communications at Alignable, the largest referral network for small businesses with nearly 10 million members. Don shares how Alignable is transforming networking by unlocking the second degree, the power of who your network knows, and why word-of-mouth is still the most effective growth engine for small businesses.

This episode dives into smarter networking, relationship-driven growth, and the new tools Alignable is rolling out to help business owners scale with clarity and connection.

Bio:

With over 25 years in PR, strategic communications, and marketing, my career spans transformative leadership roles across sectors including education, nonprofit, healthcare, real-estate, professional services, life sciences, technology and more. I've spearheaded agency innovations, developed impactful strategies for diverse audiences, and run a successful PR and strategic communications consultancy that, at its core, demonstrates adaptability and forward-thinking problems solving. Lastly, I'm part a well established, yet quickly growing entrepreneurial agency, helping them expand services and grow market presence in New England.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmartelli/

Website:  www.alignable.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Clay Malloy, President of DocsInk, for a powerful conversation on the evolution of healthcare technology, whole-person health, and the future of remote patient monitoring (RPM).

Clay shares his deeply personal and unexpected journey from sports marketing to healthcare — a path shaped by the loss of his mother, a passion for improving patient care, and an ambition to fix systemic issues from the outside in. His story sets the foundation for an open discussion about the shortcomings of traditional healthcare delivery and the massive opportunity technology provides to improve chronic care, reduce readmissions, and empower patients.

Heidi and Clay dive into:

What Remote Patient Monitoring Actually Is
RPM allows providers to track chronic conditions through at-home devices, from blood pressure cuffs to biometric wearables, enabling earlier intervention, fewer ER visits, and more control for patients.

The Rise of Wearables and Passive Monitoring
Clay breaks down why everything from Apple Watches to Oura Rings is changing the game, how passive monitoring can reduce patient burden, and what's coming next in AI-driven biometric data collection.

Whole Person Health
Why DocsInk is moving beyond single-condition solutions and toward personalized, lifestyle-informed care plans. Clay highlights the industry's shift toward understanding the entire person, not just symptoms.

AI’s Expanding Role in Healthcare
The two explore how AI is now supporting clinics with patient outreach, device setup, reminders, and clinical recommendations — all designed to reduce workload and improve patient outcomes.

Clay reveals why he chose to lead DocsInk, the company’s commitment to ethical RPM, and how his team is shaping the next evolution of healthcare technology.

This episode blends heartfelt storytelling with forward-looking strategy, offering a unique lens into where the healthcare industry is heading — and why it matters for leaders, innovators, and anyone passionate about better care delivery.

Bio:

I'm a sports marketing guy that ended up in the healthcare space b/c my family was impacted by one bad actor and I was naive enough to think I could change it. It didn't take long to realize how broken the healthcare industry really is.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/docsink/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DocsInk 

X: https://x.com/docsink

Website:  https://docsink.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In today’s episode, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with David Lipscomb (CEO & Co-Founder) and Stefan Martin (CTO & Co-Founder) of Aglow, a rapidly growing social platform designed to bring authenticity, locality, and real human connection back into the digital experience.

Aglow is challenging everything we know about traditional social media — the comparison culture, the AI-generated content flood, the pressure to perform, and the lack of genuine community. Instead, they’re building a platform that prioritizes real people, real videos, local discovery, audio-based engagement, and AI used responsibly to connect humans (not replace them).

David and Stefan share their founding story, the problem Aglow is solving, the mental-health implications of current social platforms, and how their focus on authenticity is resonating — especially with Gen Z. They also unpack their growth strategy, including campus ambassador programs, equity rewards, and creative “fight fire with fire” marketing on established platforms.

From founder mindset to go-to-market strategy to the future of meaningful social connection — this episode is packed with insight.

David Lipscomb Bio:

David Lipscomb (CEO) leads Aglow’s strategy and operations. He previously worked in private equity and corporate finance, where he led budgeting, forecasting, and KPI tracking for a $100B+ AUM platform at ICONIQ Capital. Additionally, David supported relationship-building efforts with top founders and investors. Earlier roles include on-site operational analysis and BI development for PE-backed companies in healthcare, energy, and commodities.

Stefan Martin Bio:

After seeing social media change culture - mostly for the worse - Stefan decided to launch a product designed to connect in a genuine and authentic way through proximity based short-form videos. He's a 13-year engineering veteran who's built everything from Kindle's optimized browser at AWS to Uber's ETA dispatch systems at scale. He led mobile engineering at Volta Charging from Series A to IPO. Now, Stefan's focus is to build the future of social media that is actually social.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  

     David:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lipscomb-4b578a142/

     Stefan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ste00martin/

Website:  https://aglow.life

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Tom Irby, Co-Founder of Skribe AI, to discuss how technology is reshaping one of the oldest processes in the legal world: depositions.

Tom shares his 40-year entrepreneurial journey in Texas, how owning a court-reporting firm led to the idea behind Skribe, and why virtual proceedings and AI have fundamentally changed how testimony is captured, analyzed, and used.

He explains how Skribe is modernizing the deposition experience by removing outdated, high-cost processes and replacing them with an AI-powered platform designed for accuracy, speed, cost savings, and legal-grade compliance.

Tom also dives into:
 • How COVID accelerated a decade of innovation in legal tech
 • Why general transcription tools aren’t enough for admissible legal testimony
 • The real opportunity cost when firms fail to use the data inside recorded conversations
 • How AI is reshaping preparation, questioning, and case analysis
 • Why personal injury plaintiff firms are Skribe’s ideal customer
 • Lessons from 230+ discovery interviews and niching down effectively
 • The role of humans and AI in the legal workflow
• What it takes to refine a niche, identify product-market fit, and scale a legal tech company

Whether you're curious about AI, operate in the legal space, or want a masterclass in niching, discovery, and business evolution — this conversation is filled with practical gold.

Bio

As the Founder and CEO of Skribe.ai, I'm driven by a thirst for entrepreneurial success and a relentless desire to transform how testimony is captured and shared in the legal industry. With 35+ years in C-level roles, sales, operations, and business coaching, my focus has always been on overcoming challenges, setting bold goals, and making things happen.

Before founding Skribe, I led AcuScribe Court Reporters as President and CEO. During the 2009 recession, I took on the tough task of restructuring debt, cutting costs, and driving growth in new directions. After leading the company through a successful recovery, I sold AcuScribe to Veritext Legal Solutions in 2014, marking their first Texas office.

Along the way, I’ve mentored and coached 50+ business owners across a range of industries—from startups to companies valued over $30M. I thrive on helping people tap into their potential, break through barriers, and build lasting success. As a Traction/EOS facilitator, I’m passionate about creating cultures of accountability, transparency, and growth.

I’ve also been lucky to have been part of growing companies like Silicon Services Consortium, where I helped grow sales from $1M to $10M, and CompuAdd, where we took a startup to $500M over nine years.

I live in Austin, Texas, with my wife (our two sons are elsewhere), and we’re fortunate to have an incredible daughter-in-law and grandson—who’s the bomb. When I’m not working, I’m all about the outdoors, sports, and helping others succeed. I’m a huge believer in servant leadership and use my experiences to help people and businesses tackle tough challenges and win.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomirby/

Website:  www.skribe.ai

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Hein Knaapen, Managing Partner at CEO Works, for a powerful conversation on leadership focus, value creation, and why most CEOs unknowingly derail performance by taking on too much. With over 40 years of global HR leadership experience, including serving as Chief HR Officer across multiple industries, Hein brings a rare mix of strategic clarity and practical wisdom.

He shares how CEO Works helps CEOs accelerate value creation by simplifying talent decisions, reducing priorities, and identifying the handful of roles that drive more than 75 percent of organizational impact. Hein explains why leaders consistently overestimate their company’s absorption capacity, how boldness fuels better decision making, and why behavior change always precedes mindset change.

From strengthening frontline managers to eliminating distractions, aligning top teams, and navigating AI driven operations, Hein breaks down what truly moves the needle. He also discusses cultural differences in leadership, the dangers of overengineering change, and what it really takes to build a team that keeps you grounded when it matters most.

Whether you are a CEO, founder, or senior leader seeking clarity, performance, and growth, this conversation delivers practical actions you can implement today.

Bio

I've spent over 40 years in HR, with 35 of those years driving value creation at major corporations. My journey took me through two decades at Unilever and two Chief HR Officer roles—first in telecommunications, then at ING Bank, where I designed and delivered a comprehensive people plan for the new bank strategy. This significantly enhanced management capability at all levels, particularly in performance management, while reducing HR costs by 20%.

For the past five years, I've been a Senior Partner at CEO.works, focusing on what I'm most passionate about: helping CEOs and their teams accelerate value creation by connecting talent precisely to where it matters most. I also work closely with CHROs to transform their impact on company performance—shifting from service delivery to strategic business partnership.

My approach is simple: precision over proliferation. After navigating countless boardroom dynamics, economic downturns, and complex transformations, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and what actually moves the needle. The "Talent to Value" framework, which I developed with my partners at CEO.works, helps leaders focus on the 20% of people priorities that deliver 80% of value impact.

I believe in practicing what I preach about peak performance. I stay sharp through regular running and fitness training, find creative energy in classical music and art, and expand my thinking through reading on history, leadership, and management. Based in Amsterdam, I bring both global experience and European insight to every conversation.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hein-j-m-knaapen-a879289

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-works/

X:  http://twitter.com/TalentToValue

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/talenttovalue/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5yHyCjIFrgKCPpR3yulbKw

Website:  https://www.ceoworks.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Joe Gagnon, CEO and Co-Founder of Raynmaker AI, a company transforming sales for small businesses through AI-driven workflows. Joe brings more than 25 years of tech and business transformation experience and shares how AI is reshaping sales, operations, and growth for home-service businesses across the U.S.

Joe breaks down the major challenges small business owners face: overspending on low-quality leads, offering the wrong pricing, inconsistent follow-up, and fear of being “salesy.” He explains how Raynmaker’s AI handles lead scoring, routing, offer creation, scheduling, and payments, giving small business owners a predictable way to grow without hiring a full sales team.

He also talks about when a business is ready for AI, what early-stage founders should focus on, and how staying committed to your core competency (and partnering for the rest) accelerates growth. Joe shares how AI has even reduced his engineering team size by 90 percent, allowing the company to scale faster and more efficiently.

The conversation also dives into culture, leadership, his book Living Intentionally, and how curiosity, empowerment, and giving more than you take lead to better business outcomes. Joe closes by exploring the marketing strategies helping Raynmaker win visibility in a crowded market, including trade shows, podcasting, PR, storytelling, and word-of-mouth.

Bio:

I am driven by a straightforward mission: helping people realize they are capable of far more than they think.

I am an entrepreneur, ultra-endurance athlete, and author committed to pushing the outer limits of human potential in business, sport, and personal growth. From the Bronx to the boardroom to Badwater, my journey has been shaped by grit, grace, resilience, and a steadfast belief in intentional living. I’ve run six marathons on six continents in six days, completed the Badwater 135 through Death Valley, and rebuilt my life after burnout in my thirties. These weren’t stunts; they were living experiments in resilience, energy, and focus, demonstrating what intentional living demands and offers. 

Professionally, I’ve served as a six-time CEO, guiding early-stage companies through disruption and growth. Today, as co-founder and CEO of Raynmaker, I’m building the first AI-native sales platform for small businesses that unites my passion for technology, leadership, and human connection.

This summer, I published my book, Living Intentionally: How intentionality enables success, fulfillment, and growth, to formalize the framework that has guided me through every finish line and boardroom challenge: purpose as the foundation, intentional choices as the path, and integrity as the compass.

For me, intentional living is not just a theory; it is a practice. It involves the discipline of aligning energy, focus, and resilience with what matters most. This is the practice I live, teach, and share so others can create extraordinary results in their own lives.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joegagnon/

🌐 www.raynmaker.ai

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Harley Green, co-founder of Workergenix, to explore how founders, solopreneurs, and growing teams can scale smarter by leveraging virtual assistants, systems, and AI. Harley, a full-time digital nomad who runs multiple businesses while traveling the world with his family, shares exactly how he built a lifestyle of freedom, powered by virtual assistants, efficient systems, and the right hiring strategy.

Harley dives into the origin story behind Workergenix, born from the overwhelm of running multiple side hustles while working full-time jobs. He explains how discovering skilled, English-speaking virtual assistants in the Philippines changed everything, and why most entrepreneurs wait far too long to hire their first EA.

You’ll learn the signs it’s time to get support, how to choose the right virtual assistant, and the cultural nuances that often lead to failed VA relationships (and how Workergenix solves those problems through a built-in support structure and local HR team). Harley also shares the top time-wasting tasks founders hold onto for too long, the systems that have fueled Workergenix’s rapid growth, and why referrals and podcasting outperform paid ads for visibility.

Bio*

Harley Green is a business efficiency strategist, entrepreneur, and the founder of Workergenix, where he helps executives and business owners scale faster by reclaiming 15–30+ hours a week through AI-empowered Virtual Executive Assistants.

With a background in machine learning and systems engineering, Harley brings a unique approach to operational efficiency—combining tech, talent, and strategy to eliminate bottlenecks and create space for high-impact work. After building and selling multiple businesses, including his wife’s high-performing real estate team, he founded Workergenix to help others escape the busyness trap and run businesses that support their ideal lifestyle.

Now living a full-time travel lifestyle with his family, Harley’s mission is simple: help business leaders delegate smarter, scale sustainably, and design businesses that give them more time, freedom, and focus.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/harleygreen/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/workergenix/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/goworkergenix/

Website:  https://workergenix.com/

🎁 https://workergenix.com/businessgrowthspotlight  Delegate or Die guide—a sharp, actionable read for leaders holding too much. It shows exactly what to offload and how to do it without losing control.

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this high-energy episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Laci Davis: entrepreneur, operations expert, and co-founder of The Grit Game, one of the fastest-scaling rep firms in the swimming pool and spa industry.

In less than three years, Laci and her husband built a two-person operation into a 30-member national sales team representing 20+ manufacturers across the U.S. and Canada. Their secret? Creativity, radical visibility, authentic storytelling, and a relentless commitment to grit.

Laci dives into what it actually takes to scale quickly, stand out in a competitive market, and lead confidently as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

If you’re growing a business, building a team, or trying to stand out online, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Laci blends strategy with heart, grit, and humor—showing exactly how unconventional thinking can lead to exponential growth.

Key Topics Covered

🔥 The Origin of The Grit Game

🔥 The Real Drivers of Their Rapid Scale

🔥 Social Media for Business Growth

🔥 Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated Industry

🔥 AI for Training, Efficiency, and Scale

🔥 Visibility + Niching Down

Bio*

Laci Davis is the Co-Founder and President of The Grit Game, a fast-growing sales & marketing agency serving the pool and spa industry across the U.S. and Canada. Under her leadership, the company has evolved into a tech-enabled hybrid of field sales & media—designed to help businesses grow smarter and faster in a fragmented market.

Laci is a regular contributor to Aqua Magazine, where she shares marketing and sales strategies that help small businesses compete with big budgets. Her insights and impact have landed her on the covers of Agency Sales and Spa Retailer magazines, as well as recognition in Pool Nation’s Next Gen Female Leaders and Who’s Who in America.

Beyond business, Laci is known for her advocacy in mental health and human trafficking prevention. She serves on the board of a mental health nonprofit and hosts a podcast focused on reclaiming happiness through practical strategies.\

Laci has also grown a personal social media following of over half a million by creating fitness content that helps beginner gym-goers—especially women—build confidence through step-by-step equipment tutorials and strength-training education.

She brings a sharp, systems-minded approach to growth—blending heart, grit, and data to build what’s next.

She brings a sharp, systems-minded approach to growth—blending heart, grit, and data to build what’s next.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_a_great_day_with_lacirenee/

Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.grit.game/

Personal Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacidavis/

Business Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-grit-game/

Business Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?=61554806608108

Business Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegritgame

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk talks with Aurora Alvarado, executive and operations leader at Senders, a fast-growing company that focuses on cold email deliverability, outbound strategy, and growth systems for B2B organizations.

Aurora opens up about what it really looks like to operate inside a startup while balancing executive support, operations, analytics, hiring decisions, and the daily systems that keep a business growing in a sustainable way. She explains the biggest cold email mistakes companies are making, why messaging can become ineffective almost overnight, and how Senders helps businesses build the right infrastructure so they stay out of spam and increase response rates.

They explore topics such as:

• The real state of cold email deliverability in 2025
• The rise of triggered outbound and how it is changing lead generation
• How to warm up domains correctly so you avoid landing in spam
• Why email copy stops working and how to improve your messaging quickly
• The most effective ways to use AI in operations and marketing
• How to make your first key hire and what matters more than a resume
• Why values alignment is essential inside a startup
• What today’s audience actually cares about and how to adjust your copy fast

This episode is full of practical growth insights, operational clarity, and marketing advice that founders, CEOs, and operators can put into action right away.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/auroraalvarado/

Website:  senders.co

Email:  Aurora@Senders.co

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, sits down with Gloria DeGaetano founder of the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) and pioneer of the parent-coaching movement.

Gloria shares how she built an international company around a concept the world had never heard of — and the mindset, passion, and evidence-based methodology that made PCI the global leader it is today.

🔥 What You’ll Discover

• How Gloria created the parent coaching industry before coaching was mainstream
• Why believing in your vision (with evidence to back it up) is the foundation for innovation
• How intuition plays a powerful role in business growth
• What Gloria had to learn and unlearn when transitioning from educator to entrepreneur
• The strength-based framework and inquiry-based model PCI uses to transform parent-child relationships
• The biggest misconceptions about parent coaching — and why it’s more relevant than ever
• The marketing challenges of building a company pre-social media (and what’s working for PCI today)
• PCI’s evolving impact on parenting, family support professionals, and organizational training
• Gloria’s goals for the next 12 months and how she plans to expand PCI’s global footprint
• Why parents should be viewed as the most important thought leaders on the planet

Whether you're a parent, a leader in family support, or an entrepreneur building something new, this episode gives you powerful insights on growth, resilience, innovation, and visibility.

Bio*

Gloria DeGaetano, M.Ed., a visionary thought-leader, birthed parent coaching when forming the Parent Coaching Institute (www.thePCI.org), now a global company offering Parent Coach Certification® for family professionals, coaching services for parents, and specialized programs for companies and organizations. Gloria, an acclaimed educator and author, is an innovator of family support for modern-day parents. Her unique system for helping parents successfully navigate the challenges of our tech-obsessed world is used by thousands of parents worldwide.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParentCoachingInstitute/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/pci.parent.coach/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/parent-coaching-institute/:  

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Stacy Richter, CEO of Live Lingua, a global online language school serving students in 80+ countries.
 What starts as a conversation about business growth quickly evolves into an inspiring deep dive into Stacy’s 20-year entrepreneurial journey: from corporate collections, to a kitchen-table startup, to launching multiple businesses, to ultimately becoming the CEO of an international company.

Together they explore:

• Why language learning has become a competitive advantage for teams doing business cross-culturally
• The mindset and resilience behind long-game leadership
• How learning another language strengthens relationships, improves creativity, and boosts strategic thinking
• The most common mistakes companies make when rolling out language programs
• How language training impacts the triple bottom line: people, partnerships, and profits
• Why you don’t need fluency to build trust, just a willingness to try
• How AI is reshaping language learning (without replacing human connection)

Stacy brings refreshing honesty, real-world experience, and a powerful reminder that every chapter of your journey prepares you for something bigger than you can imagine.

You’ll love this episode if you are:
 ✓ A founder, CEO, or executive expanding into multilingual markets
 ✓ Growing a global or cross-cultural team
 ✓ Interested in the intersection of leadership, learning, and growth
 ✓ Someone who appreciates a great “kitchen table startup” story

Bio*

Stacy is better known as the Marketing Mindbender. To kickstart his career, Stacy completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary with a double major in Marketing and Information Systems. This was quickly followed up by completing an Industrial Marketing minor at the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany. 

He has successfully lead marketing initiatives in nearly every sector known in the business world including oil and gas, ecommerce, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, finance, fintech and language services. 

What you might not know about Stacy is that…

•He was once a winner of a beauty contest in Monopoly.

•Stacy enjoys playing guitar and the harmonica but not at the same time.

•He performed a song he wrote and produced on the Buck Shot Show when he was 5.

Stacy completed his MBA at the University of Phoenix before joining a boutique marketing agency as a Senior Associate. At the time of his exit 4 years later, he and the partners had grown the agency to 6 offices and 30+ associates across North America. 

He has since been pursuing his venture career through acquiring and growing small to medium sized businesses. Stacy brings lives his philosophy of Ask Great Questions, Get Great Answers to 10x is businesses AND, his life.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/livelingua

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/livelingua

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/livelingua

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@LiveLingua

Website:  https://livelingua.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Matthew Confer, Head of Strategy at Abilitie, an experiential learning company transforming leadership development through simulation-based, gamified learning experiences.

Matthew shares how Abilitie is redefining leadership training—moving beyond traditional lectures and workshops to create immersive, simulated environments that challenge leaders to make real-time decisions, manage teams, and build business acumen.

From their innovative use of AI-driven roleplay to their rapid global expansion across 50 countries, Matthew reveals how Abilitie helps companies build stronger leaders, retain top talent, and future-proof their organizations for a new era of learning.

Key Takeaways:

• Why experiential, gamified learning is more effective than traditional training.
• The four essential leadership skills every emerging leader must master.
• How Abilitie scaled from 8 employees to a global team driving growth in over 50 countries.
• How AI is enhancing—not replacing—human connection in leadership development.
• The biggest challenges companies face in scaling leadership training—and how to solve them.

Bio: 

Matthew Confer is the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that has worked with over 100,000 leaders around the world. Matthew has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference with a talk entitled Before You Decide that has been viewed over 1 million times. He also hosts the Learn To Lead Podcast.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/

Website:  Abilitie - Leadership Development Powered by Practice

Check out the Learn to Lead Podcast:  Learn to Lead - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Alex McPherson, VP of Digital Operations at BibliU, to explore how innovative leadership, technology, and AI are reshaping the education technology landscape.

Alex shares his incredible journey from intern to VP, growing alongside BibliU from just 8 employees to over 250, and what it’s really taken to scale a startup into a global EdTech leader.

Together, Heidi and Alex dive into:

• Scaling Smart: How BibliU managed rapid growth while staying customer-focused.
•  AI in Operations: How BibliU is using artificial intelligence to streamline processes, boost efficiency, and maintain a human touch in customer support.
• Higher Ed Transformation: The trends shaping the future of digital learning and how AI will continue to redefine higher education.
•  Growth Challenges: The biggest lessons from scaling fast—and how to maintain stability and consistency in a changing market.
•  Visibility & Marketing: Why relationships and conferences still matter in EdTech, and how targeted, AI-powered marketing is changing their go-to-market approach.

Alex also gives listeners an inside look at BibliU’s mission to make digital content more affordable, accessible, and effective for students worldwide—and what’s next as they continue to expand across the U.S.

 Bio:

VP of Digital Operations for BibliU, overseeing our implementations and vendor partnerships.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-mcpherson/

Website:  BibliU | Affordable Course Materials & Campus Solutions

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Wayland Lum, Founder and CEO of Copperbox Leadership Advisory, for a deep conversation on what it really means to lead with purpose in today’s fast-changing world.

Wayland shares how Copperbox helps leaders in middle-market private equity firms unlock their potential — not just to drive company performance, but to grow as individuals who impact their teams, families, and communities. From the Eight Principles of Modern Leadership to the evolving role of AI in leadership development, this episode explores the intersection between human growth, business performance, and purpose-driven leadership.

Listeners will walk away with a fresh perspective on how leadership evolves, why purpose drives profit, and how to balance growth, feedback, and integrity in the age of technology.

Bio*

Wayland works with leaders at all levels to fully develop their leadership potential and achieve profound transformational change. Wayland’s focus is elevating the performance of operating executives, both in Private Equity portfolio companies and non-PE backed lower middle market and middle market companies across a range of industries. His approach marries the science and art of leadership to take clients through bespoke development experiences that are designed to help them evolve into significantly stronger leaders.

Prior to founding Copperbox, Wayland was a core team member of Korn Ferry’s CFO and Executive Development practice. His work included leadership coaching and real-time executive assessment, as well as designing leadership development programs that expand executive thinking. He has worked with hundreds of leaders globally in CBs such as Abbvie, Scholastic, Nike, Deloitte, John Deere, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and State Farm. His experience living and working in China, the UK and Mexico has given him a nuanced perspective on how to lead effectively across different countries, regions and cultures. He has also led executive career development for top talent at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ Executive MBA Programs in North America and Europe.

He started his career in Human Resources, with a focus on talent acquisition, large-scale ERP implementation and other HR functions.

Education and Credentials

Wayland earned his MBA from Baruch College and his Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University. Wayland is a certified professional coach through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). He is also a certified Wilderness First Responder through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Wayland speaks fluent Spanish.

And Life...

When he is not doing the work he loves, you will likely find Wayland backpacking in a national or state park, running through Texas Hill Country, practicing archery with his recurve bow, cooking with family and friends, or practicing the Japanese ‘art’ of Tsundoku (buying books and letting them pile up unread).

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayland-k-lum/

Website:  www.copperbox.co

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Jesse Rome, VP of Training and Solutions at Aslan Sales, to explore what it truly means to sell by serving, not by pushing. Together, they dive into the moral foundation of Aslan’s “Other-Centered” sales methodology, how AI is transforming sales training, and why the most effective salespeople today act as trusted partners, not product experts.

From building global training programs to leading with empathy, Jesse shares how Aslan helps Fortune 500 companies and small teams alike develop sales cultures that prioritize relationships, integrity, and impact.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Selling is Serving: How shifting from a self-centered to an “other-centered” mindset helps sales teams build trust and long-term success.
• Trusted Partner vs. Salesperson: Why being a problem-solver creates deeper client relationships and better business outcomes.
• AI in Sales Training: The right way to integrate AI for coaching, feedback, and performance optimization — without losing the human touch.
• Lasting Transformation: The three stages of Aslan’s training process — Prepare, Ignite, Transform — and how they drive measurable change.
• Sales Trends Post-COVID: Why sales cycles are longer, how to stay visible without being pushy, and the growing role of relationship-based selling.
• Leadership and Growth: How Jesse leads a global team of 30 trainers and what challenges and opportunities are shaping the future of sales enablement.
  
  

Bio*

As ASLAN’s Vice President of Training and Solution, Jesse is the global head of training — responsible for all aspects of delivering ASLAN’s training solutions. This includes customization, training delivery, coaching, manager/trainer certification. 

He has over a decade of experience as a top sales executive, manager, and trainer at Fortune 500 companies. Jesse’s favorite part of training is creating the “aha moment” when the audience understands how simple sales can be when you truly care about your customers first and when you become Other-Centered®. 

When Jesse is not training, he enjoys time with his family in Arizona, soaks up sunshine while in the mountains, sipping wine, and playing fútbol. Each day sales personnel have a choice to make - be pushy or be passionate? If you make the right choice, you must know “how” to show that passion, and not just “what” to be passionate about.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-rome-224b7049/

                   https://www.linkedin.com/company/aslan-sales-training/

Website:  https://aslantraining.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this insightful episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Chase Henderson, President of the Economic Recovery Center, to explore how small businesses can recover and thrive after natural disasters.

Chase shares the powerful story behind founding the center and how his team has turned compassion into action—helping business owners access the right funding, rebuild operations, and regain stability when the unexpected strikes.

Heidi and Chase also discuss how AI-driven tools are reshaping disaster response, improving speed and accuracy in funding applications, and simplifying complex processes for business owners.

From real-world recovery success stories to the lessons learned from major disaster zones, this episode shines a light on resilience, innovation, and the power of community in economic rebuilding.

Whether you’re a small business owner, policymaker, or part of an organization focused on growth and recovery, this episode delivers valuable insight into how preparation, technology, and collaboration can turn crisis into opportunity.

Bio:

Chase Henderson is a serial entrepreneur, creative strategist, and the co-founder of three companies: Economic Recovery Center, BluWATER Grp, and NURO is, Inc. A 4th-generation Southwest Floridian, Chase turned personal crisis into purpose after Hurricane Ian devastated his hometown. He’s since helped secure over $30 million in recovery funding for small businesses across the country and built ERC into a trusted voice in the disaster recovery space.

Chase is also the co-founder of NURO is, a boutique AI consulting firm helping small to mid-sized businesses future-proof their operations and reclaim time through custom AI workflows. He and his team - who bring decades of experience in tech and algorithm development - combine deep technical expertise with real-world business intuition.

Known for his clarity of thought, compelling storytelling, and heart-centered leadership, Chase brings a unique lens to entrepreneurship - one that blends grit, emotional intelligence, and systems thinking. He’s been a guest on podcasts, spoken on stages, and built curriculum around mindset and communication. Whether he's building businesses, helping others scale, or demystifying AI, Chase is obsessed with one thing: making complexity simple and transformation tangible.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaseaph/

Website:  www.economicrecoverycenter.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Alex Atkins, VP of Growth and Operations at Sturdy, the world’s first business intelligence platform powered by customer conversations.

Alex shares how Sturdy is revolutionizing the way companies understand and retain customers—by transforming billions of unstructured data points (emails, chats, tickets, and more) into clear, actionable insights.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Sturdy’s AI works: The difference between generative AI and synthesis (multimodal) AI—and why the latter is the future of business intelligence.
  
  
• Why churn isn’t a customer success problem: Data from 2.4 billion+ words analyzed shows that churn often starts in product, billing, or sales misalignment—not just CS.
  
  
• Turning dark data into proactive retention: How Sturdy helps businesses uncover early churn signals and fix issues before customers leave.
  
  
• Messaging, growth, and scrappy marketing: Alex’s lessons from scaling Sturdy—constant testing, clear differentiation, and why being scrappy is a superpower for startups.
  
  
• The power of thought leadership: Why consistent, value-driven LinkedIn content can outperform paid ads for visibility and trust.
  
  
• What’s next for Sturdy: Moving beyond dashboards toward automation and action—AI that triggers alerts and workflows without logging into another tool.
  
  
  

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-n-atkins/

Website:  https://www.sturdy.ai/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Drew Chambers, EVP of Marketing at Harper, a next-generation cloud application platform built for speed, scalability, and developer performance.

Drew shares how Harper’s innovative fused-stack architecture is transforming how enterprise-level teams build and deploy high-performance applications—especially in the fast-moving world of AI and real-time data.

From overcoming the limitations of traditional web architecture to simplifying onboarding for legacy systems, Drew offers insight into how Harper helps teams eliminate latency, streamline workflows, and scale globally with ease.

He also pulls back the curtain on Harper’s marketing and growth strategy—built on community-led engagement, thought leadership, and authenticity rather than over-automated outreach.

Finally, Drew shares what’s next for Harper, including their upcoming Fabric deployment feature, and reflects on what true success looks like in the next 12 months.

Bio:

Drew is the EVP of Marketing at Harper. Drew is a senior marketing executive with a demonstrated history of working in the professional services and technology space. Before joining Harper, he cofounded and led the digital agency Armscye, acquired by Dysrupt in 2024. The performance marketing and brand strategy agency worked with emerging and high-growth companies including Bandit Running, Diggs, and Salvo Health to build repeatable paid and own-channel strategies for customer acquisition and rapid growth.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/achambers06/

Company LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/harpersystems 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@harpersystems

Website:  www.harpersystems.dev

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk welcomes Laurel Donnellan, founder and CEO of Compassionate Leaders Circle, a media and learning solutions company with a 26-year legacy in helping individuals and organizations create meaningful, purpose-driven work.

Laurel shares her journey from selling soft pretzels in her mother’s kitchen to building a hospitality career and eventually transitioning into human development and leadership training. Today, her organization works with professionals, corporations, universities, and now K-12 schools, helping people discover their “soul work” and develop compassionate leadership skills that empower others.

She and Heidi explore:

• What compassionate leadership truly means (and why it’s not soft).
  
  
• Why having purpose—both personal and professional—is one of the strongest predictors of performance.
  
  
• How burnout happens when work becomes disconnected from meaning.
  
  
• The power of slowing down, creating space, and allowing clarity to emerge.
  
  
• Lessons from scaling a personality-driven business into a team-empowered legacy brand.
  
  
• Laurel’s newest expansion into K-12 programs teaching young people purpose and leadership skills early.

Laurel reminds us that leadership is not about doing more, it’s about leading with heart and helping others grow into leaders too. Her closing message:

 “When in doubt, throw love at it.”

Bio:

Laurel's mission is to help individuals and companies create remarkable work. She is a compassionate leadership expert with an undergraduate degree from Cornell University’s College of Business and an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. She founded Compassionate Leaders Circle 26 years ago, developing transformational programs that build careers and organizations from the inside out. Laurel currently cohosts the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast and writes about inspiring leaders for Forbes.com. Her passions include education equality and properly-brewed tea.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/compassionateleaderscircle/

Instagram:   @loveablework

YouTube:  @Compassionate Leaders Circle 

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Maksym (Max) Petruk, CEO and Co-Founder of WeSoftYou, a custom software development company with over 100 team members and a growing focus on AI and education technology.

Max shares the story behind WeSoftYou’s impressive growth in a competitive B2B software market — and the pivotal moments that shaped their success. From building strong client relationships to navigating the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to scale sustainably, build trust, and future-proof your business in the age of AI.

Bio:

Maksym Petruk is the founder and CEO of WeSoftYou, an 80+ person product development company delivering software solutions across AI, EdTech, SaaS, Web3, and more. With over 8 years of product management experience, he focuses on driving digital transformation for SMBs and advising early-stage startups.

A Forbes Technology Council member and Harvard Business School Online alum, Maksym has been recognized as Payoneer’s Innovator of the Year and named to Kyiv Post’s Top 30 Under 30. He’s a frequent speaker at global tech events and is passionate about turning big ideas into scalable solutions.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maksym-petruk/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/maksym.petruk/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this heartfelt and fun episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo Tammy and Santiago Castro, co-founders of I AM HCM Consulting. Together, they share how faith, authenticity, and a people-first approach have shaped their business and marriage over the past 20 years.

Tammy reveals the inspiration behind her new book, “Shiny Objects: How Technology is Outshining the Human in HR (and What to Do About It)”, and explains how organizations can cut through the noise of 20,000+ HR tech products to find clarity, connection, and success.

From creating a culture rooted in core values like humility, unity, and generosity to hosting weekly “I AM Fam” calls that blend business with faith and fun, the Castros are on a mission to be a light in corporate America.

They also open up about balancing business and marriage, why relationships matter more than transactions, and how they’re helping companies navigate HR tech with heart.

Tammy and Santi remind us that business growth isn’t just about systems and software, it’s about heart, humility, and human connection. Whether you’re leading a team or leading yourself, this conversation will inspire you to bring more authenticity, faith, and fun into your work.

Bio*

Tammy Castro knows the struggle of HR technology—because she’s lived it. Before becoming anexpert, she was the one navigating HR systems that promised efficiency but often created more headaches. Now, she’s on a mission to bridge the gap between technology and the people it’s meant to serve.

As the author of Shiny Objects, Tammy challenges leaders to rethink how they implement HR systems—ensuring technology elevates, not eliminates, human connection in the workplace.

With over 30 years in HR tech, Tammy has seen organizations chase new tools while overlooking the people they serve. Through her writing, consulting, and speaking, she empowers HR and business leaders to realign their systems with their values—because at the end of the day, technology should work for people, not the other way around.

Tammy brings real-world insights, a refreshing mix of honesty, humor and wisdom to every

conversation, helping organizations create workplaces where both technology and human

connection thrive.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammycastro/

Website: www.iamhcmconsulting.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Host Heidi Schalk welcomes Kathleen Chan, Founder and CEO of Calico, for an in-depth discussion on entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. Kathleen shares her journey from building successful DTC brands to tackling the complexities of global sourcing through technology. She opens up about her experience fundraising as a female founder, the effects of geopolitical shifts on supply chains, and the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing market. This episode offers valuable insights on visibility, strategic partnerships, and what it takes for underestimated founders to succeed in the venture-backed ecosystem.

Bio*

Kathleen Chan is the founder and CEO of Calico, a sourcing co-pilot for consumer brands that streamlines the most complex and fragmented parts of production—using AI to help teams generate manufacturable design concepts, compare regional factory pricing, source the right partners, manage costs, and move from concept to production faster.

A three-time founder with deep experience in fashion and retail, Kathleen previously built and scaled DTC brands in the jewelry and apparel space, where she oversaw everything from design to sourcing to go-to-market strategy. Her frustration navigating global production across time zones, spreadsheets, and unreliable partners became the spark for Calico, which is now used by leading brands to bring speed and resilience to their supply chains.

She began her career at Microsoft and was named one of Sourcing Journal’s 2025 Female Founders to Watch.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenchan/

                   https://www.linkedin.com/company/calicoai/

Website:  https://www.joincalico.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Max Wolf, Managing Partner at Systematic Ventures, to explore how his firm is transforming the venture capital landscape through data-driven strategies and global insight. Max shares how Systematic Ventures leverages analytics to identify promising startups, support founders, and guide investors toward smarter, more strategic decisions.

The conversation dives into the challenges startups face in gaining visibility, the evolving role of marketing in the investment ecosystem, and how emerging industries are shaping the next wave of innovation. Max also discusses the firm’s long-term vision—building a more inclusive, transparent, and efficient venture ecosystem that empowers both investors and founders to thrive.

Bio*

Max Wolff has spent 20 years in alternative assets, hedge funds and venture as an analyst and strategist. Max and has been a University Professor for 15 years and sits on several VC and start ups boards.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/systematicventures/posts/?feedView=all

X: https://x.com/systematic_v?lang=en

Website:  www.systematicventures.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:   Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Michael Heiberg, founder of Ocean IO, to explore how intelligent data and AI are reshaping the way businesses connect with their ideal customers.

Michael shares how Ocean IO helps companies streamline targeting and engagement through data-driven micro-targeting and AI-powered insights. He dives into the evolving relationship between sales and marketing in today’s AI-driven landscape, offering practical strategies for startups navigating growth challenges.

The conversation also touches on the power of influencer marketing, the importance of removing friction in customer engagement, and why embracing change is essential for long-term success. Michael closes with a look at the future of Ocean IO — and how adaptability continues to drive innovation in the B2B space.

Bio:

Michael Heiberg is a transformative leader and visionary entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience driving innovation and growth in the SaaS and AI sectors. As the Founder and CEO of Ocean.io, he has redefined AI-driven B2B lead generation, pioneering the use of advanced lookalike modeling to optimize sales and marketing strategies for businesses worldwide. Under his leadership, Ocean.io has become a market leader, delivering scalable solutions that empower organizations to achieve predictable and efficient revenue growth.

Michael’s career spans key leadership roles at globally recognized technology companies, including Oracle and SAP, where he spearheaded significant revenue growth and led international expansion efforts. His ability to combine technical insight with strategic execution has been a consistent hallmark of his success, from managing multi-million-dollar budgets to leading innovative startups to successful exits. He is renowned for his entrepreneurial spirit, having nurtured and scaled several ventures as an active investor and strategic advisor.

Fluent in English, German, and Danish, Michael brings a global perspective and a unique ability to bridge cultural and technological divides. His expertise in AI, business strategy, and scaling high-growth companies makes him a sought-after thought leader in the tech ecosystem, frequently collaborating with industry leaders to shape the future of AI-powered business solutions.  Visit https://ocean.io/ for more information

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-heiberg-723645/

Website:  https://www.ocean.io/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale:  Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Allen Nejah, founder of SunMan Engineering, to explore how his company is transforming the engineering landscape through innovation and adaptability. Allen shares his perspective on staying agile in rigid markets, securing the right funding for technology development, and aligning with shifting investor priorities. He also dives into the growing impact of AI and emerging technologies in engineering and how Sunman Engineering leverages marketing strategies to boost visibility and drive future growth.

Bio*

With over 30 years of experience in the high-tech industry, Allen Nejah has completed over 1664 Product development projects under his leadership. Allen is highly respected for his commitment to customer satisfaction. Allen has successfully provided product development engineering services from concept to architecture, design, prototyping and manufacturing. Allen provides expert product design, product development and support services that help accelerate product time-to-market and increase product quality.

Allen’s performance is been reflected and recognized by number of awards form companies Like Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins and Allen and SunMan Engineering have been scored for past performance rating by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE as highest performance in Quality, Teamwork and for early delivery.

Allen has provided product and engineering services to various industries including Aerospace, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Medical, Wireless, Semiconductor, Telecommunication, Networking  and Defense.

Allen had many successes in introducing breakthrough technologies, thanks to a synergy between an entrepreneurial mindset to innovation, extensive engineering experience, and a track record in accurately predicting technological and market trends.

An inventor at heart, Allen holds many patents. He also founded several IP-based technology companies, including LightSpeed, LLC (a gigabit fiber channel product,) Telemetria (a VoIP product,) and Telemetria Technology, Inc. (connected car products and applications.) and now InfiniGear (MyBike, Inc.).

Long before “IoT,” “GPS,” and other now-ubiquitous technologies entered the common lexicón, SunMan Engineering introduced the “connected car” concept to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2007.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRkRJmQnsHk

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/allen-nejah

Website:  www.SunManTechnology.com

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Arman Eshraghi, Founding CEO of Qrvey, to explore how embedded analytics is transforming the SaaS landscape. Arman shares the story behind building Qrvey’s all-in-one analytics platform and the key lessons learned while scaling a fast-growing tech company. He dives into the power of specialized marketing strategies, the need for adaptability to customer demands, and how strategic partnerships play a crucial role in driving long-term growth and innovation.

Bio:

I’m a serial entrepreneur presently serving as Founder and CEO at Qrvey. My professional career includes founding four B2B software companies while also serving as an advisor to startups and entrepreneurs. At Qrvey, we are the leading provider of embedded analytics solutions for SaaS companies. Our award-winning technology has been designed from the ground up to be fully embeddable AND self-service.

I currently live in Austin, TX with my family of three. For fun, I maintain an unusually large board game collection and sometimes design my own strategy games, drawing inspiration from everything, especially from the nature around us.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshraghi/

Website:  http://www.qrvey.com/

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Adam Hocek, founder of Aecho AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of recruitment. Adam dives into the growing importance of soft skills assessment, the role of emotional intelligence in hiring, and how Aecho AI’s voice technology brings a human touch to digital recruiting.

He shares how understanding tone, emotion, and personality through voice data helps companies make better hiring decisions and how this innovation gives Echo AI a competitive edge in the HR tech space. The conversation also covers marketing strategies for early-stage AI startups, building visibility in a crowded market, and navigating the challenges of scaling voice-based AI.

Bio*

CEO & Founder, Aecho.ai

Adam Hocek brings over four decades of pioneering expertise in voice artificial intelligence to his role as CEO and Founder of Aecho.ai. As a recognized leader in voice technology innovation, Adam has dedicated his career to transforming how humans interact with intelligent systems, culminating in Aecho's revolutionary approach to AI-powered recruitment.

Educational Foundation and Technical Leadership

Adam holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Essex and completed post-graduate research at the master's level in Computer Science Engineering. His academic foundation has supported a distinguished career spanning executive roles as CTO, CIO, and CEO across six startups, including one successful exit.

Voice AI Pioneer and Industry Innovator

Adam's contributions to voice technology began in the 1980s when he created the first voice recognition product for consumers, establishing him as a true pioneer in the field. His innovative spirit continued with the invention of the first portable reading system for the blind in the 1990s, demonstrating his commitment to using technology for meaningful social impact. He also designed and built Arizona's voice-accessed traffic and tourism system, showcasing his ability to deploy voice AI solutions at scale.

Thought Leadership and Industry Recognition

As a respected authority in voice technology, Adam co-authored "Definitive VoiceXML," published by Prentice-Hall in 2003, which became a foundational text in the field. His upcoming book, "AI for Purpose," will explore how artificial intelligence can drive transformative change across industries. Through decades of hands-on experience and theoretical contributions, Adam has established himself as both a practitioner and thought leader in voice AI applications.

Vision for Aecho.ai

At Aecho.ai, Adam applies his extensive voice AI expertise to address the $750 billion global recruitment market's fundamental challenges. Under his leadership, the company has developed what he describes as "Autopilot for Recruitment" - an autonomous hiring platform that leverages advanced voice analysis to assess candidates comprehensively, reducing time-to-hire from weeks to hours while achieving unprecedented accuracy in evaluating technical skills, soft skills, and cultural fit.

Adam's unique combination of technical innovation, entrepreneurial success, and deep understanding of voice AI positions him to lead Aecho.ai's mission of transforming recruitment through intelligent voice analysis technology.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhocek/

Website:  https://aecho.ai

Connect with me:

🎁Spotlight to Scale: Spotlight to Scale Blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Shashank Sripada, co-founder and COO of Gaia, a decentralized AI network transforming how businesses and communities connect.

Shashank shares his entrepreneurial journey in the tech industry, highlighting the challenges of building Gaia and the pivotal role of decentralized AI in reshaping business operations. The conversation explores:

• The future of AI agents and their potential to streamline decision-making and business growth
• How Gaia is pioneering decentralized coordination to enhance scalability and trust in AI systems
• Key marketing strategies for tech startups and the importance of adaptability in competitive markets
• The mindset shifts entrepreneurs need to stay flexible, pivot effectively, and drive innovation
  
  

Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of artificial intelligence, startup growth strategies, and the evolution of decentralized networks.

Bio

Shashank Sripada is a serial entrepreneur and investor with experience in finance, consulting, and economics. As a founding partner at Nextwave X Partners, he oversees thematic investment funds in sectors like logistics, space, and blockchain. He also serves as CIO at Marcena Capital, managing and advising on $7bn in assets across various investment strategies. Shashank has led over $1bn in deals globally, with a background in AI, robotics, and energy. He holds a BSc in Economic History and a Master’s in Management from the London School of Economics.