Ep. 208 The Coaching Model That Helps Business Owners Scale, Exit, and Actually Enjoy the Journey

Ep. 213 The Hidden Challenges Every CEO Faces with Brent A. Hafele

Show Notes: In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership coach and business strategist Brent Hafele, founder of Vibrancy Unlocked. Brent shares what really happens behind the scenes for CEOs and why leadership challenges often become the biggest growth barriers organizations face. From loneliness at the top and decision fatigue to burnout and team development, Brent provides powerful insights into what separates struggling leaders from thriving ones. He also explains why most growth challenges are actually leadership challenges, how CEOs can build stronger teams, and why self awareness may be the most important skill a leader can develop. Whether you're a CEO, founder, executive, or business owner looking to grow your organization, this conversation offers practical wisdom for leading with greater clarity, confidence, and impact. Bio: Brent A. Hafele, M.A., PCC,  President & Coach to CEOs Hi, I'm Brent. Over my career, I led in the number one or number two role in multiple businesses and nonprofits on the local, national, and international level. Starting in 2008, I also worked as a consultant, partnering with 180+ CEOs and senior leaders across North America on fundraising, board governance, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. That consulting work gave me a front-row seat to executive leadership—I observed their styles, traits, quirks, struggles, and blind spots. While I wasn't contracted specifically for leadership coaching, I often found myself helping those CEOs navigate the human side of leadership as we tackled their organizational challenges together. The work world can too easily strip away our humanity with expectations that prevent you from being you. Given the chance, it will challenge your values, divide your family, and leave you beat up. I founded Vibrancy Unlocked in 2022 because I saw a better way. CEOs needed more than strategic advice—they needed a partner who understood the weight of executive leadership and could help them break free from the patterns keeping them stuck. There are few things I love more than supporting a leader and their team as they press on into the next season. And it is my joy to walk with you toward vibrancy. To listen. To Question. To Strategize. To Encourage. To Celebrate. Bring on the real and the raw. Let's get to work. Credentials ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership & Philanthropy B.A. in Organizational Communication 20+ years leading for-profit and nonprofit organizations Worked with 180+ CEOs as a consultant and coach since 2008 Personal Believer. Husband. Father. Friend. Leader. Coach. Location:  Based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. To connect with our guest, click on the links below: LinkedIn:  Brent A. Hafele, M.A., PCC | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenthafele/]  Website:  https://www.vibrancyunlocked.com/ [https://www.vibrancyunlocked.com/] Connect with me: LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/] 🎁 Grab your Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint [https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint]

Ep. 212 Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield with David Fivecoat

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

Ep. 211 The Three C's of Persuasive Communication Every Leader Needs to Know with Danny Bobrow

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

Ep. 210 Why Most Leaders Focus on Performance Instead of Purpose and Pay the Price with Olivier Lemaignen

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

Ep. 209 The Power of Purpose Leadership and Smart Scaling for Business Owners with Steve Smith

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