C-Suite Secrets

Show Notes:   What separates companies that scale successfully from those that struggle? In this episode of C Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons sits down with John Scott, CPA and Virtual CFO at Anders, to discuss the financial principles, leadership lessons, and growth strategies that have helped transform a 50 person accounting firm into a nationwide organization with more than 500 team members. Dra...

Show Notes:   What if the biggest obstacle to your company's growth isn't strategy, talent, or market conditions, but the stories you've been carrying since childhood? In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with executive coach and creator of Inner Architecture Work, David Heaps, for a powerful conversation about self-awareness, leadership, and the hidden patterns that...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Lindsey Breeden, founder of The Gundo Group , to discuss his unique path from designing Barbie packaging at Mattel to becoming a sought-after fractional COO helping companies scale efficiently. Lindsey shares how his creative background became an unexpected advantage in business operations, why many founders hire...

Show Notes:   What separates successful entrepreneurs from those who stay stuck? In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons sits down with Chris Hilgers, entrepreneur and founder of Peak Franchising, to discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, franchising, personal growth, and building a life with purpose. Chris shares lessons from his journey from the corporate world to business owners...

Show Notes:   What if the thing that's quietly killing your business growth is you? In this episode, Heather sits down with Chris Burke and they dive into exactly what separates businesses that scale from ones that stall, and the moves that most founders wait too long to make. Serial entrepreneur Chris Burke built two companies across 25 years.  A global consultancy that did a quarter billion in s...

Show Notes:     What actually drives results in marketing today is not more activity. It is better strategy. In this episode of C Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons sits down with Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital, to break down what truly moves the needle for business growth after working with tens of thousands of businesses. Shannon shares the realities behind scaling a marketing compan...

Show Notes:     What if your marketing problem isn’t your tactics but your strategy? In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with T.K. Douglass, founder of Fidelis Creative Agency, to unpack the real reasons businesses struggle to generate consistent growth from their marketing. With nearly two decades of experience, T.K. shares why many companies unknowingly create “Fra...

Show Notes:   In this episode, Heather Parsons sits down with Ramsey Sweis, founder of Aqaba Digital, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a modern digital agency. From starting in his living room to operating globally, Ramsey shares hard earned lessons on systems, data driven decision making, and why most businesses fail to align marketing with profitability. To connect with our gues...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Nacho Guzmán, founder of Latin Brand, a multinational advertising agency specializing in multicultural and Hispanic markets. With nearly two decades in business, Nacho shares the unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship—from near-death business experiences to navigating industry disruption, building international t...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with digital marketing veteran Marilyn Jenkins, who has been building and scaling businesses since the early days of the internet. Marilyn shares what most business owners get wrong about marketing and why the real problem is rarely lead generation, it is what happens after the lead comes in. From missed phone calls t...

Show Notes: Communication is one of the most underestimated leadership skills in business today. In this episode of C Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with leadership expert Kim Bohr, incoming CEO of SparkEffect, to discuss the critical role communication plays in building trust, scaling organizations, and leading through change. Kim shares insights from national research on leadershi...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Jason Fishman, a leading expert in investor marketing and capital raising strategy. Jason shares how founders can shift their mindset from simply raising money to building a scalable marketing engine that attracts investors consistently. Jason explains why most fundraising efforts fail due to a lack of structured...

Think Like a CFO: What Profit Is Actually Telling You  Most business owners think profit will tell them if things are working. CFOs know better. In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons breaks down what it actually means to think like a CFO—even if you don’t have a finance background. Because here’s the truth: Profit isn’t something you manage in real time. It’s the result of decisions...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with entrepreneur JP Revel to discuss the realities of building and scaling a business. JP shares how an unexpected layoff early in his career pushed him toward entrepreneurship and how that moment reshaped his perspective on job security and risk. JP walks through his journey from IT professional to freelancer to found...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with entrepreneur and agency leader Kevin Maude to unpack what it really takes to build, pivot, and sustain a business over the long term. Kevin shares his 30 plus year entrepreneurial journey, from launching early digital initiatives to running a 22 year video production company and evolving into a results driven marke...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Barbara O Stephenson, Agency Principal of 300FeetOut, for a candid conversation about branding, leadership, AI, and building a resilient business. Barbara shares her journey from COO to entrepreneur after acquiring the agency during a recession. She opens up about the mindset shift required to move from executing s...

In this episode of C Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Matt Schalsey, founder of Perfect Hire, to break down what is actually broken in recruiting and how founders can rethink hiring, headcount strategy, and ROI. Matt shares his journey from entrepreneurial kid selling pencils to HR tech founder building a next generation applicant tracking system. The conversation dives into why...

Show Notes:   In this special episode of C Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons announces the launch of OneRoom, a joint venture created in partnership with commercial lending expert Jen West, founder of Wild Fig Commercial Lending. For the first time, listeners are given an inside look at the boardroom, where financial clarity, capital strategy, and executive level decision making come together. Heathe...

Most business owners think profit will tell them if things are working. CFOs know better. In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons breaks down what it actually means to think like a CFO — even if you don’t have a finance background. Because here’s the truth: You don’t need to “fix everything.” You need to see clearly. Heather explains why profit is a result, not a strategy — and why mos...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons sits down with J. Daks, founder of Hexagon IT Solutions, for a candid conversation on how software development has evolved and what leaders must prioritize to drive real business outcomes. Jay shares why successful technology initiatives start with a deep understanding of client needs and why the industry is moving away from feature...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Amber Field, COO of Strudel AI, to unpack what truly drives execution, focus, and scalability inside early-stage and growing technology companies. With a career spanning IBM, National Geographic, Capital One’s Innovation Lab, and multiple venture-backed startups, Amber brings a rare blend of technical depth, oper...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with serial entrepreneur, sales strategist, and SaaS founder Charles Bernard for a focused conversation on leadership, revenue growth, and the evolving role of AI in modern businesses. Charles shares his journey from growing up in the UK to building and leading two interconnected companies in the U.S., a sales consult...

Show Notes:   In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons sits down with Paul Price, owner of Argyle Executive Forum and a seasoned CEO with deep experience in private equity, marketing services, and executive leadership. Paul shares his journey from working as an operating CEO for private equity-backed companies to acquiring and scaling his own executive events business. The conversation...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, host Heather Parsons sits down with Cara Kuhn, former corporate talent acquisition leader turned healer and coach, to explore the intersection of ambition, identity, and sustainable success. Cara shares her journey from a 20+ year corporate career to founding a purpose driven healing and coaching practice for high performing women. Together, Heather...

Show Notes: In this episode of C-Suite Secrets, Heather Parsons is joined by Sean Vassilaros, a seasoned entrepreneur and SaaS founder, for a deep conversation on trust, character, and what truly drives long-term business success. Sean shares his entrepreneurial journey, from building and selling a highly regulated SaaS platform for remote clinical trials to advising university students and launch...