Business Growth Spotlight

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, sits down with Gloria DeGaetano founder of the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) and pioneer of the parent-coaching movement. Gloria shares how she built an international company around a concept the world had never heard of — and the mindset, passion, and evidence-based methodology that made PCI the global leader it is tod...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Stacy Richter, CEO of Live Lingua, a global online language school serving students in 80+ countries.  What starts as a conversation about business growth quickly evolves into an inspiring deep dive into Stacy’s 20-year entrepreneurial journey: from corporate collecti...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Matthew Confer, Head of Strategy at Abilitie, an experiential learning company transforming leadership development through simulation-based, gamified learning experiences. Matthew shares how Abilitie is redefining leadership training—moving beyond traditional lectures and workshops to create immersive,...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Alex McPherson, VP of Digital Operations at BibliU, to explore how innovative leadership, technology, and AI are reshaping the education technology landscape. Alex shares his incredible journey from intern to VP, growing alongside BibliU from just 8 employees to over...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Wayland Lum, Founder and CEO of Copperbox Leadership Advisory , for a deep conversation on what it really means to lead with purpose in today’s fast-changing world. Wayland shares how Copperbox helps leaders in middle-market private equity firms unlock their potential — not just to drive company performance...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Jesse Rome, VP of Training and Solutions at Aslan Sales, to explore what it truly means to sell by serving, not by pushing. Together, they dive into the moral foundation of Aslan’s “Other-Centered” sales methodology, how AI is transforming sales training, and why the most effective salespeople today act as...

Show Notes: In this insightful episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Chase Henderson, President of the Economic Recovery Center, to explore how small businesses can recover and thrive after natural disasters. Chase shares the powerful story behind founding the center and how his team has turned compassion into action—helping business owners access the right fundin...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Alex Atkins, VP of Growth and Operations at Sturdy, the world’s first business intelligence platform powered by customer conversations. Alex shares how Sturdy is revolutionizing the way companies understand and retain customers—by transforming billions of unstructured data points (emails, chats, tickets, and...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Drew Chambers, EVP of Marketing at Harper, a next-generation cloud application platform built for speed, scalability, and developer performance. Drew shares how Harper’s innovative fused-stack architecture is transforming how enterprise-level teams build and deploy high-performance applications—especial...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk welcomes Laurel Donnellan, founder and CEO of Compassionate Leaders Circle , a media and learning solutions company with a 26-year legacy in helping individuals and organizations create meaningful, purpose-driven work. Laurel shares her journey from selling soft pretzels in her mother’s kitchen to building a hospitalit...

Show Notes: In this episode of The Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, sits down with Maksym (Max) Petruk, CEO and Co-Founder of WeSoftYou, a custom software development company with over 100 team members and a growing focus on AI and education technology. Max shares the story behind WeSoftYou’s impressive growth in a competitive B2B software market —...

Show Notes: In this heartfelt and fun episode of The Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with the dynamic husband-and-wife duo Tammy and Santiago Castro, co-founders of I AM HCM Consulting. Together, they share how faith, authenticity, and a people-first approach have shaped their business and marriage over the past 20 years. Tammy reveals the inspiration behind her new book, “...

Show Notes: Host Heidi Schalk welcomes Kathleen Chan, Founder and CEO of Calico, for an in-depth discussion on entrepreneurship, innovation, and resilience. Kathleen shares her journey from building successful DTC brands to tackling the complexities of global sourcing through technology. She opens up about her experience fundraising as a female founder, the effects of geopolitical shifts on supply...

Show Notes: In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Max Wolf, Managing Partner at Systematic Ventures, to explore how his firm is transforming the venture capital landscape through data-driven strategies and global insight. Max shares how Systematic Ventures leverages analytics to identify promising startups, support founders, and guide investors toward smarter, more strategic decisions. The...

  Show Notes: In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Michael Heiberg, founder of Ocean IO, to explore how intelligent data and AI are reshaping the way businesses connect with their ideal customers. Michael shares how Ocean IO helps companies streamline targeting and engagement through data-driven micro-targeting and AI-powered insights. He dives into t...

Show Notes: In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Allen Nejah, founder of SunMan Engineering, to explore how his company is transforming the engineering landscape through innovation and adaptability. Allen shares his perspective on staying agile in rigid markets, securing the right funding for technology development, and aligning with shifting investor...

Show Notes: In this episode, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Arman Eshraghi, Founding CEO of Qrvey, to explore how embedded analytics is transforming the SaaS landscape. Arman shares the story behind building Qrvey’s all-in-one analytics platform and the key lessons learned while scaling a fast-growing tech company. He dives into the power of specialized marketing strategies, the need for adaptab...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Adam Hocek, founder of Aecho AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of recruitment. Adam dives into the growing importance of soft skills assessment, the role of emotional intelligence in hiring, and how Aecho AI’s voice technology brings a human touch to digital recruiting. He s...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Shashank Sripada, co-founder and COO of Gaia, a decentralized AI network transforming how businesses and communities connect. Shashank shares his entrepreneurial journey in the tech industry, highlighting the challenges of building Gaia and the pivotal role of decentralized AI in reshaping business operatio...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Megan Wells, VP of Marketing at Evolve AI, to explore the future of marketing leadership in an AI-driven world. Megan shares her perspective on the rise of go-to-market engineers, the growing role of automation and prompt engineering, and what it takes to scale effectively within a fast-paced startup enviro...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Titus Capilnean,  VP Go to Market at Civic Technologies, to explore how technology and especially artificial intelligence (AI), is transforming the way businesses grow and scale. Titus shares his perspective on using AI as a practical business tool instead of just another buzzword, and how small teams with...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk interviews Dennis Kelly, CEO of Postalytics, a leading platform that is revolutionizing direct mail automation. Dennis shares his journey in the startup world, the inspiration behind Postalytics, and how integrating direct mail with digital marketing strategies is delivering powerful results for businesses of all sizes. H...

Show Notes: In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Linda Albright, founder of Albright AI, to explore how entrepreneurs can harness the power of artificial intelligence in business strategy. Linda shares her personal journey as an entrepreneur and the inspiration behind launching her AI consulting firm, offering insights into how leaders can adopt agile lea...

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Omer Jamal takes us inside his entrepreneurial journey and reveals what it really takes to build a business in today’s fast-changing market. From mastering speed to lead in sales to leveraging AI-powered sales strategies, Omer shares how modern entrepreneurs can stay ahead of the curve. He dives into the biggest challenges business owners face, the imp...

Show Notes:  In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight , host Heidi Schalk sits down with Chetan Saiyo, CEO of Zoomifier, to explore the transformation of B2B sales in today’s digital-first world. Chetan breaks down how video and AI are reshaping sales performance, and why understanding digital body language is now essential for connecting with modern buyers, especially in a post-COVID marketpl...