CEO Growth Talks

From Fiberglass to Fast Growth: A Business Energized by Strategy

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes sits down with Ben Bertram, Owner of Fiberglass Solutions, to explore his bold leap into business ownership—without a safety net. Ben shares how he and his wife acquired a gritty, industrial business and scaled it rapidly through operational excellence, customer responsiveness, and eventually, strategic marketing support from Chief Outsiders. From building cheese brine tanks to overcoming a growth plateau, this is a candid look at entrepreneurial grit, risk-taking, and building the foundation for scalable success.

Scaling with Vision: A conversation with Mike Clarke and Pete Hayes

Mike Clarke, CEO of Hanto + Clarke General Contractors, LLC, turned a family startup into a fast-growing enterprise by combining EOS discipline with data-driven, fractional marketing expertise. Join us for our next CEO Growth Talks episode where Mike joins host Pete Hayes to unpack the strategy behind his company's explosive scaling journey.

Go Slow to Go Fast: Developing Mid-Level Leaders in the AI Era

In this crucial episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes sits down with Loretta Stagnitto, founder of Stagnitto Leadership Associates, to discuss the critical importance of intentionally developing your organization's next layer of leaders. They explore why the "how" of leadership—not just the "what"—is the key skill gap and how a targeted coaching methodology can transform your management team. What You'll Learn: ✅ The Mid-Level Burnout: Why the intermediary layer between the C-suite and individual contributors is the most common place for failure and burnout. ✅ The "How" is the Gap: The danger of promoting great engineers or managers without training them in the soft skills necessary for senior leadership (e.g., managing stakeholders, giving feedback, and delegation). ✅ The I Know System (Assess, Act, Achieve): Loretta's proven methodology for building self-awareness, identifying blind spots, and creating an intentional plan for development. ✅ The Power of Systemic Coaching: How to improve organizational effectiveness by helping peers and cross-functional teams communicate better and manage their collective capacity. ✅ Avoiding the Wait-and-See Trap: Why many leaders wait too long before investing in coaching, often missing the opportunity to course-correct before a talented individual fails. This conversation provides actionable insights for any CEO or C-Suite executive looking to build a strong succession plan and a resilient organization that can move fast by leading better.

Scaling Smart: How StormTrap Used Fractional Marketing to Unlock Growth

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, we sit down with Nate Olds, CEO of StormTrap LLC, a national leader in controlling stormwater runoff. Nate shares the strategic journey of scaling his business, how a consultative sales model ensures engineering excellence, and the pivotal role of leveraging fractional executive expertise to unlock a new, high-growth market segment. For CEOs looking to scale a specialized B2B business and execute smart market diversification, this is a must-watch conversation. What You'll Learn: ✅ The Power of Partnership: How Storm Trap doubled its national network to 40+ precast partners in less than five years, strategically placing manufacturing within 100 miles of any municipality for efficient expansion. ✅ Consultative Sales in Engineering: Nate details their approach to educating engineers and clients, focusing on long-term value, durability, and cost-effective design for critical stormwater management systems. ✅ Strategic Market Diversification: The evaluation process and decision to partner with Chief Outsiders to enter a new market without cannibalizing existing sales channels, resulting in clear ROI in under a month. ✅ The CEO’s Accountability: Leadership advice on the importance of transparency, empowering your team, and knowing when to admit you need external, specialized expertise to accelerate growth initiatives.

Silicon Valley to Space Tech: How One CEO Found Growth Through Adaptation

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes speaks with Ed Trevis, President, CEO, and Co-founder of Corvalent Corporation. Ed shares the remarkable 32-year journey of his company from its Silicon Valley roots to becoming a key player in Texas’ growing tech and manufacturing ecosystem. Driven by a culture of consistency, Ed built Corvalent to deliver rugged, industrial-grade computing systems designed for long-term reliability and mission-critical environments. As the company evolved, Ed embraced innovation through IoT and AI, developing full turnkey solutions for monitoring, tracking, and control across smart cities, energy, and defense sectors. His commitment to long-life production cycles not only enhances data integrity but also supports sectors that demand long-term system stability. Now, as a member of the Texas Spaceport Commission, Ed is helping shape the future of space tech and economic development in Central Texas.