The Mindset Shift That Changes Team Performance

Leading With Purpose When Pressure Is Rising

This episode of the Midway Business Podcast features Keith Lewis, Founder of VeraSpark and author of, “Sparking Your Inner Leader.” Drawing from an unusual journey that includes time as both Willie the Wildcat and Benny the Bull, Keith shares leadership insights shaped by decades of coaching executives, teams, and organizations. The conversation explores how leaders influence culture, navigate change, and why self awareness may be more important than many leaders realize. For executives trying to lead through economic uncertainty, AI disruption, talent challenges, and growing performance pressure, this discussion offers a fresh perspective. It raises an interesting question: are leaders spending too much time reacting to problems and not enough time shaping what they actually want to create? Because despite all the new technology, market shifts, and leadership books, most organizations still discover that the hardest person to lead is often the one staring back from the mirror. To contact Keith Lewis with VeraSpark: 512-784-2288 or keith@veraspark.com [keith@veraspark.com]. For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net.

Are You Winning the Wrong Game?

Most leaders spend years chasing growth, hitting targets, and building successful companies, only to realize they are winning the game but not necessarily enjoying it. In this episode, Thomas Edwards Jr., Business and Life Coach and author of The One Up Effect: Gamify Your Life to Win and Have Fun Playing, explores what business leaders can learn from gaming, performance psychology, and human behavior to create stronger cultures, better engagement, and more meaningful success. The conversation dives into leadership, trust, workplace culture, and why some organizations level up while others keep getting stuck on the same stage year after year. For executives navigating growth, change, and employee motivation, this episode offers a different way to think about business, fulfillment, and building a company where people are excited to keep playing the game. To contact Thomas Edwards Jr. with The 1up Effect:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thethomasedwardsjr/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thethomasedwardsjr/] or thomasejr@gmail.com [thomasejr@gmail.com] For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net [butch@elitebenefits.net].

Trust, Transparency, and the Future of Leadership

When things are going well, leadership is easy to talk about. The real lessons show up when pressure rises and decisions carry lasting consequences. Guest Jay Jacobson shares lessons from decades of leadership, mentorship, and helping people navigate difficult situations. Drawing from the principles in his book, Lead by Legendary Example, he explores why so many organizations struggle with communication, trust, culture, and leadership development today. For business leaders, this episode is a reminder that the biggest challenges rarely show up on a spreadsheet. From retaining talent and managing generational shifts to building stronger cultures, this conversation highlights the leadership habits that help organizations adapt, earn trust, and create workplaces people actually want to be part of. To contact Jay Jacobson with Professional Staffing, LLC:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayscookies or jujacobson@gmail.com [jujacobson@gmail.com] For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Team Performance

This episode of the Midway Business Podcast features Josh Lifrak, author of Win Today: Six Steps to Mental Resilience, Peak Performance, and a Thriving Life, sharing front line insights from working with elite athletes and business leaders. He also takes listeners inside the mindset shifts that helped transform the Chicago Cubs during their championship run. The conversation digs into leadership, culture, mindset, and why so many companies lose momentum once pressure starts showing up. For leaders trying to navigate uncertainty, remote work, anxiety, and teams running on fumes, this episode delivers a reality check. It exposes why some companies build cultures that thrive under pressure while others keep running in circles through endless meetings, chasing clarity, and trying to make sense of metrics that somehow change every week. The leaders who create connection, simplicity, and accountability before things break are the ones staying ahead while everyone else keeps scheduling another “quick meeting” to figure out what happened. To contact Josh Lifrak reach out to him on LinkedIn. For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net.

Why Leaders Keep Getting Burned at Renewal Season

This episode takes a hard look at why so many companies treat one of their largest expenses alongside payroll and taxes like an afterthought until renewal season shows up with another painful surprise. It challenges the idea that healthcare costs are “just the market” and why leadership and strategy matter more than most executives want to admit. The conversation also explores why smart companies are rethinking traditional insurance models, challenging rising pharmacy costs, and refusing to accept renewal increases like bad weather reports. For leaders trying to grow revenue while healthcare expenses quietly eat away at margins, this episode opens up a conversation most boardrooms avoid until the panic emails start flying across the company. For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net [butch@elitebenefits.net].