The Heart of Business

Aaron Moore: From Contractor to Community Architect

In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Moore, President of PPD Painting and Co-Founder of the Commercial Painting Industry Association, to explore how industry-specific peer forums transform insight into action—and relationships into a powerful retention engine. Aaron shares his journey from Chicago startup to buying out a partner, scaling a commercial painting company, and building CPIA around a forum model inspired by EO and YPO. We unpack the structure behind high-performing groups: non-competing peers across geographies, monthly virtual meetings, in-person sessions, and a deceptively simple update framework that surfaces what’s working, what’s draining energy, the best idea, the most important action—and the one thing you don’t want to talk about. The game-changer? Experience-sharing over advice. Speaking from lived wins and losses lowers defenses, accelerates learning, and drives clearer action. We also explore how forum habits migrate inside companies—leaders replacing certainty with curiosity, teams balancing KPIs with the human layer that drives execution, and members navigating ownership transitions, succession planning, and tough decisions with greater clarity and confidence. If you lead a trade, run a chapter, or want a serious leadership edge, this episode is a practical playbook for building high-trust peer groups that actually move the needle. Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com [http://www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com]to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.

"The Art and Science of Breakthrough" with Bob Rothman

"It's perfectly okay to spiral down. The sooner you can see it, the sooner you can make the choice to go back up. That's breakthrough." Robert Rothman is the President of Gap International, has been with the company for more than thirty years, and has been instrumental in building the company to its current size and scope.  As a consultant, Mr. Rothman is a strategic partner to CEOs and C-level executives in major, multinational organizations where he leads breakthrough growth and performance initiatives. In this candid discussion with Mo Fathelbab, Bob will share his insights into the concept of creating a breakthrough environment within organizations, emphasizing the importance of understanding and cultivating the many unseen factors that shape this environment. These factors and embracing new ways of seeing challenges and setbacks can propel us to achieve remarkable feats. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Resources: Gap International [https://www.gapinternational.com/home] Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com [http://www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com]to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.

Introducing "The Heart of Business"

We are thrilled to announce the launch of "The Heart of Business", a podcast that will explore the personal side of business. Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com [http://www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com]to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.

Leading With Vulnerability: A Conversation With Dave Ingram

This episode features serial entrepreneur and facilitator Dave Ingram, who shares the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership—from his early landscaping business to building a 25-year executive search firm. Dave talks openly about the hard seasons, including the 2008 downturn, and how peer forums became his anchor for real talk and better decision-making. We explore what makes forums work: experience sharing instead of advice, confidentiality that creates safety, and the discipline to be fully present. Dave also describes how these habits show up outside the boardroom, like helping runners of all backgrounds access coaches, shoes, support, and a welcoming community—leading to miles logged, new finish lines, and social barriers coming down. Dave breaks down the craft of facilitation, why sharp questions outperform quick answers, and how frameworks like EOS stick when teams feel truly heard. He also shares how he uses AI as a thought partner without relying on it to replace human connection. If you care about leadership growth, peer learning, and building healthier organizations, this conversation gives you real tools and real hope. Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com [http://www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com]to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.

The Forum Habit: Practicing Trust, Presence, and Better Thinking with Dan Hoffman

In this episode, we sit down with Dan Hoffman—founder, CEO, and president of Circl.es—to unpack the surprising truth behind real leadership growth: it happens in small circles, not big rooms. Dan traces his path from building M5 Networks and navigating a tough public-company chapter, to a life-changing sabbatical in Barcelona that reframed how he thinks about success. He introduces a simple but powerful idea: small, curated peer forums help people live and lead better. We explore why five to ten diverse peers, structured conversations, professional facilitation, and a hybrid cadence anchored by in-person retreats consistently outperform traditional corporate learning. Dan breaks down how Circle Space uses data, design, and psychological safety to scale authentic connection—echoing research like Google’s Project Aristotle on trust, equal airtime, and vulnerability. Beyond the frameworks, Dan opens up about how forums shaped his own choices, taught him to listen more than speak, and strengthened him as a leader, partner, and human. If you’ve ever wondered whether a peer forum could help you grow—or what it feels like to sit in a truly safe circle—this conversation might be your invitation. If you enjoy the episode, follow the show, share it with someone who leads teams, and leave a quick review to help bring more leaders into circles where growth becomes a habit. Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com [http://www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com]to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.