Midway Business Podcast

Growing Your Business Starts With Letting Go

Every leader says they need more time, yet somehow the calendar keeps winning. This episode explores why growth often stalls long before revenue does, and why the real bottleneck may not be your workload at all. If your desk has become the company headquarters for every decision, this conversation might feel surprisingly familiar. Guest Rachel Davila, Founder of Extra Hands Virtual Assistance, shares why successful delegation is about far more than handing off tasks. She explains how the right support system can help leaders think bigger, build smarter operations, and create room for the work that actually moves the business forward. Sometimes the biggest promotion a CEO can give themselves is removing their name from their own to do list. To contact Rachael Davila with Extra Hands! Virtual Assistance: rachael@extrahandsva.com [rachael@extrahandsva.com] or extrahandsva.com For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net.

Success Begins Where Most People Give Up

Every business runs into obstacles. The difference is that some leaders see resistance as a stop sign while others treat it like another item on Monday's agenda. From sales and entrepreneurship to leadership and even dealing with insurance claims, this conversation explores why so many people settle for just enough while others keep pushing until they find a way through. If your company has ever lowered the bar because the challenge felt too BIG, this episode will make you think twice. Sometimes the biggest competitor is not another company. It is the voice in your head saying, "Good enough." Because businesses rarely lose overnight. They lose one small excuse at a time. For more information about Midway Business Podcast, please contact us at 708-593-5331, butch@elitebenefits.net.

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.