Joyce Mehlman - How to Bet on Yourself and Build a Business Through Uncertainty

Iris Pomerance Fields - From Tech Disillusionment to Buying and Rebuilding a Service Business

Iris Pomerance Fields is the Owner and President of The Porch Company, a design-build construction firm specializing in custom porches and outdoor living spaces. Originally founded more than 30 years ago, she acquired the company and now leads its growth while preserving its craftsmanship-focused legacy. Before The Porch Company, Iris worked in business operations at Built Technologies and CareBridge. In this episode… A career can look successful on paper while feeling strangely disconnected from the work itself. Over time, that gap can evolve into a deeper question about whether day-to-day work feels grounded, tangible, and aligned with personal values. When external success no longer matches internal clarity, what does it take to realign the two? With a background in finance operations and high-growth tech startups, Iris Pomerance Fields found herself increasingly pulled toward work that produced visible, real-world outcomes. After years in abstract, systems-driven environments, Iris began rethinking what meaningful work would look like in practice and explored entrepreneurship as a way to regain autonomy and control over her time and impact. That search eventually led her into business acquisition, where she applied her systems-oriented mindset to an entirely different type of organization. Her key takeaway: clarity often follows action, not the other way around. In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Iris Pomerance Fields, Owner and President of The Porch Company, to discuss career reinvention through business acquisition and leadership. Iris explains her shift from tech to tangible business ownership, how she acquired and restructured a multi-branch company into a unified organization, and lessons from her EO forum.

Daniel Woods - Building a Service Business Through Hospitality and Intentional Leadership

Daniel Woods is the Founder and CEO of The Addison Group, a landscape architecture firm focused on designing personalized and elegant outdoor spaces. The company serves builders and custom clients throughout Greater Nashville, offering landscape design, site and grading plans, pool and outdoor living design, and 3D rendering. Before founding The Addison Group, Daniel was a senior Landscape Architect at Southern Land Company, where he played a principal role in the development of local communities. In this episode… Growth often begins with a simple question: Is the path you're on still the right one? For entrepreneurs, this question can surface in moments of uncertainty, forcing them to rethink how they lead, serve, and build what comes next. Landscape architect Daniel Woods spent years learning the craft of design before realizing that his deeper calling was entrepreneurship. After launching his own business in 2012, he moved from simply serving clients well to building a company with a clearer structure, stronger leadership, and a more intentional client experience. Throughout his journey, Daniel learned that growth requires more than talent — it requires listening well, planning ahead, and committing fully to the principles that set your company apart. In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson talk with Daniel Woods, Founder and CEO of The Addison Group, about building a service business through intentional leadership. Daniel shares how he started his entrepreneurial journey, why communication and hospitality became his company's guiding principles, and how EO helped him improve his listening skills.

Matthew Anderson - Making Better Decisions in Real Estate, Law, and Entrepreneurship

Matthew Anderson is a Partner at Anderson & Harrison, PLLC, a Nashville-based boutique law firm focused on construction and real estate law. The practice represents real estate professionals, investors, developers, and operators in breach-of-contract and tort disputes related to real estate and construction. As a real estate investor and operator, Matthew has approximately $25M of assets under management, consisting primarily of multifamily and office space in Tennessee. In this episode… Entrepreneurship often requires choosing between what's working and what's worth building next. As opportunities expand, the harder decision is not always whether to grow, but what to let go of in order to grow well. How do you know when a difficult season is actually pointing you toward the next right move? Real estate and construction law expert Matthew Anderson built his career at the intersection of legal strategy, investing, and entrepreneurship. After starting out in law while quietly pursuing real estate deals on the side, he eventually stepped into business ownership, learning that growth required more than ambition — it required focus, discipline, and the courage to say no. A deeply personal setback, including grief and a delayed bar exam, became an unexpected turning point that gave Matthew space to study investing and take action. His advice: stop dabbling, make offers, learn through due diligence, and use action to build confidence. In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline sits down with Matthew Anderson, Partner at Anderson & Harrison, PLLC, to discuss making difficult decisions in entrepreneurship and real estate investing. Matthew shares how he joined EO, why investor experience shapes his legal advice, and how a major personal setback helped launch his investing journey.

Brian Fisher - How To Find Your True Role in Business and Build a Career That Fits

Brian Fisher is the Co-founder and COO of Jucebox, a digital marketing and sales platform for life insurance agents and advisors. He is also the COO and Chief Compliance Officer at JB Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment advisory services company. With a background in operations and marketing, Brian helps advisors improve performance and client acquisition. In this episode… Success may look like a straight path from passion to achievement, but it rarely unfolds that way. Many professionals find themselves pivoting, reevaluating, and redefining what fulfillment means along the journey. What can you do when the path you've invested in no longer aligns with the life you want to build? Business infrastructure expert Brian Fisher didn't begin his career with spreadsheets or systems, but with a trumpet in hand and a vision of performing. As he moved from music into the restaurant industry, he immersed himself in operations, eventually running multimillion-dollar establishments and launching his own creative dining experiences. Even after achieving his dream of opening a restaurant, an unexpected loss forced Brian to rebuild from scratch. Alongside his twin brother, he found a new path, learning to embrace his strengths behind the scenes — designing systems, scaling operations, and supporting growth rather than chasing the spotlight. Brian's journey demonstrates that success comes from aligning your work with your natural strengths, not forcing yourself into roles that drain you. In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Brian Fisher, Co-founder and COO of Jucebox, to discuss navigating career pivots and finding your role in business. Brian shares his transition from music to restaurants, lessons from building and losing a business, and how defining his strengths reshaped his leadership approach.

Joyce Mehlman - How to Bet on Yourself and Build a Business Through Uncertainty

Joyce Mehlman is the Founder of iLEX Consulting Group, a fintech consulting firm. She is also the President and COO of Spidr, a fintech platform that enables businesses to develop and deliver embedded banking solutions. With over 30 years of experience in financial services and fintech, Joyce held senior leadership roles across operations, compliance, and payments. In this episode… Major career decisions rarely arrive at convenient times. They tend to show up alongside uncertainty, responsibility, and the pressure to choose between stability and something unproven. When the stakes include family, finances, and personal identity, how can you decide which path to take? Seasoned fintech leader and strategist Joyce Mehlman didn't begin her career in finance — she stumbled into it after her plans for law school fell through and a temporary bank job turned into a lifelong endeavor. Over decades, she worked her way through nearly every function in banking, eventually rising to executive leadership before stepping away to build something of her own. Along the way, Joyce faced moments that tested both her resilience and conviction — from supporting her family through uncertainty to navigating a near-collapse of her business during an industry downturn. Through it all, she leaned into adaptability, honesty, and persistence, proving that the willingness to bet on yourself can be the most important decision you make. In this episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Joyce Mehlman, Founder of iLEX Consulting Group and President and COO of Spidr, to discuss building resilience through uncertainty. Joyce shares how she transitioned from banking into entrepreneurship, navigated financial instability during the pandemic, and evolved her leadership style through honesty and active listening.