Confessions of a Vistage Chair

E13: Fear, Identity, and Finding Freedom with Angelo Sisco

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.   Let's pull back the curtain!   In this episode, Angelo Sisco brings one of the most remarkable life stories we have had on this show. His father went to federal prison when Angelo started kindergarten. He opened his first pizza restaurant at 17. He ran a poker game through his early 20s. He lost 100 pounds in seven months and built a CrossFit empire across multiple gyms, a nutrition company, and an online programming business before selling everything three weeks before the COVID lockdown. Then he moved his family to San Clemente, leveled up his business perspective, returned to Chicago, turned around a friend's $15 million company, joined Vistage, and launched his own group in December of 2025 with 10 members.   But the real story is not any of that. It is how Angelo figured out that his business was just a mirror reflecting back his own internal state, and what happened when he finally stopped operating in fear.    You're not going to want to miss this one! Timestamps 05:39 Lessons from the Pizza Business 15:13 The Power of Feeling Seen 22:02 Coaching Identity and Leadership 26:03 Shifting Away from Fitness 39:54 The Secret Ingredient for Growth 46:37 Detaching Self-Worth from Numbers 52:04 Overcoming Fear Guest Links angelo@siscoadvisors.com https://siscoadvisors.com/ [https://siscoadvisors.com/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelosisco/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelosisco/] Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0032E00003Nv9ObQAJ/angelo-sisco [https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0032E00003Nv9ObQAJ/angelo-sisco]

E12: The Turnaround Guy: Saving Billion-Dollar Companies by Fixing People First with Bob Murray

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.   Let's pull back the curtain! Bob Murray is the type of person who went from wiring data centers as an electrician in Saskatchewan to leading billion-dollar turnarounds at one of the world's largest mobile companies. In this episode, Bob unpacks what three decades of turnaround work taught him about fixing people before fixing businesses, why toxic culture almost always comes down to a small handful of people, and how building an organization where people bring their hearts to work is the only strategy that actually scales.   Timestamps 00:00 From Electrician to CEO: Early Culture 02:32 Unexpected Path to Leadership 06:03 Core Excellence and Values Alignment 15:02 Building Culture Through Small Actions 22:07 Vision and Direction in Turnarounds 25:28 Leadership Assessment: Vision & Foxes 31:56 Owner Meddling and Schizophrenic Culture 34:45 Surgical Approach to Toxic Culture 40:28 Unlocking Potential and Life’s Purpose 44:46 Vistage Members and Imposter Syndrome   Guest Links https://robert-murray.com/ [https://robert-murray.com/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsmurray1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsmurray1/] https://tec-canada.com/our-speakers/robert-murray/ [https://tec-canada.com/our-speakers/robert-murray/]

E11: EOS and Vistage Aren't Competing. Here's Why You Need Both with Christine Spray

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.   Let’s pull back the curtain!   In this episode, Christine Spray breaks down the difference between EOS and Vistage in a way I've never heard explained before. She also tackles why you shouldn't have to choose between them and what she's learned about leadership, resilience, and never doing it alone, over a career unlike anyone else's in this space.   This one is a masterclass from start to finish. Timestamps 02:57 Adversity, Resilience, and Self-Help 12:57 Overcoming Fear and Continuous Improvement 19:54 Lessons from Public Speaking and Boards 25:59 Strategic Networking and Leadership Growth 32:07 Effective Coaching and Sales Development 39:52 Hiring Sales Talent and the EOS/Vistage Dynamic 43:59 EOS vs. Vistage: Distinct Values   Guest Links Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/00380000018bSb0AAE/christine-spray [https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/00380000018bSb0AAE/christine-spray] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinespray/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinespray/] EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/christine-spray/ [https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/christine-spray/]

E10: Peer Accountability: Toxic Culture Always Starts at the Top with Heather Anderson

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.   Let's pull back the curtain!   Heather Anderson is the type of person who said yes to coaching a sixth-grade field hockey team, having never seen a field hockey game. In this episode, Heather unpacks what she learned taking a 2-and-10 team to 10-and-0 and how those same leadership principles show up in every boardroom she walks into. She gets into why toxic culture always traces back to the leader, why emotional intelligence starts with self-awareness, and what her secret sauce has been for two decades of success. Timestamps  04:19 Coaching Without Expertise 07:05 Cultivating Team Culture 11:53 Peer-Led Culture vs. CEO Culture 28:11 Self-Awareness in Leadership 39:12 Three-Perspective Exercises 44:29 Vistage Chair Success Secrets Guest Links Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slKqPAAU/heather-anderson [https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slKqPAAU/heather-anderson] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-anderson-72230b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-anderson-72230b/]

E9: From Enlisted to the White House to Vistage Chair: The Long Road with Brian Roberts

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.   Let’s pull back the curtain!   In this episode, Brian takes us from enlisting in the Air Force at 18, through the Reagan-Gorbachev summits, the birth of the internet, a radio show that got him one-phone-call access to any CEO in DC, and eventually to becoming a Vistage Chair. He also gets brutally honest about the one decision he regrets most: not joining a peer group before the recession hit.   This one is packed with wisdom, war stories, and the kind of perspective that only comes from actually living it. Timestamps 04:44 Path to Becoming an Officer 12:47 Transition to Civilian Life 17:59 Military Skills in the Civilian World 24:34 Resilience Through Career Challenges 28:06 Entrepreneurial Journey: 9/11 and Beyond 43:55 Recession and Business Collapse 47:36 Becoming a Vistage Chair 54:27 The Entrepreneurial Struggle   Guest Links brian.roberts@vistagechair.com Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slWEfAAM/brian-roberts [https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slWEfAAM/brian-roberts] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrobertscroix/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrobertscroix/]