Steel City Growth

What does it really take to build a school that doesn’t just educate students — but transforms entire families? In this episode of Steel City Growth, host William Ilgenfritz sits down with Matt DeHart, Founder of Teach From The Heart and TFD Academy, to talk about rebuilding standards in education, developing leadership through soft skills, and creating a model that educates both kids and parents...

What does it really take to grow from your first real estate deal into a full-scale company — without losing sight of your values or your people? In this episode of Steel City Growth, host William Ilgenfritz sits down with Andrew Reichert, Founder & CEO of Burgo, to talk about building a real estate business from the ground up, investing in workforce housing, and leading a growing team with pu...

What happens when business owners are ready to retire — but want to protect their employees, their legacy, and their community? In this episode of Steel City Growth, host William Ilgenfritz sits down with leaders from the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership and Pittsburgh City Council to break down how employee ownership works, why it’s growing, and how it can help small and mid-sized busin...

In this short kickoff episode, Bill shares what’s ahead for the show, why these conversations matter, and says thank you to everyone who’s been supporting and watching. This season, we’re going deeper into the real stories, challenges, and decisions business owners face — and bringing you more practical insight you can actually use. Whether you’re building, growing, or thinking about what’s next,...

From Loss to Legacy: Estate Planning, Exit Strategy, & Protecting Business Owners Today’s guest is Sunny Erdman, wealth advisor, certified Exit Planning Advisor, and Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor who has spent 15+ years helping business owners protect their families, reduce tax exposure, and transition their companies with clarity instead of crisis. Sunny’s journey started with tr...

Know Your People: Fractional HR, Culture, & Avoiding Costly Mistakes Today’s guest is Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP , Founder & President of HR Resolutions , bestselling author, and nationally respected expert in fractional HR, workplace culture, and small-business compliance. With 20+ years in the field—and over 100 clients served annually—Karen helps business owners prevent six-figure H...

Leadership, Legacy, and Adversity: From Humble Beginnings to High Performance Today’s guest is Jeff Hancher , Founder and President of Jeff Hancher Enterprises , leadership speaker, consultant, and USA Today bestselling author of Firm Feedback in a Fragile World . From blue-collar roots and military service to rising through the ranks of a Fortune 500 company, Jeff has built a life devoted to help...

Discipline, Leverage, and Leadership: From Special Forces to Small Business Success Today’s guest is Randy McElwee , former U.S. Army Green Beret, founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu Athens, and creator of Going Commando Success Coaching. After 23 years in Special Forces, Randy translates battlefield lessons into business strategy—helping owners build structure, leadership, and systems that scale. From su...

Know How to Swim: Self-Protection, Awareness & Leadership Under Pressure Today’s guest is Sam Rosenberg , founder of Live Ready, former Marine officer, and internationally recognized expert in personal security and violence prevention. Sam has protected some of the most elite figures in the world—from Warren Buffett to Benjamin Netanyahu—and now teaches executives, organizations, and families...

Cash Is King, Culture Matters, Private Equity Reality Today’s guest is Jon Arnold , former wealth-management founder turned private-equity and real-estate fund manager. After selling JR Wealth Management (~$12M) and a real-estate firm, Jon now runs Vision Funds (Vision RE, Vision 1, Vision 2), focusing on dividend real estate, an absolute-return long/short fund, and an income fund. He shares battl...

Life Plan Before Business Plan: Protecting Wealth, Brand & Legacy Today’s guests are Kori Whisenant, an estate-planning attorney based in Cleveland who teaches families how to build generational wealth, and Gerald Jackson, a transactional/business attorney who helps owners document operations, structure entities, and plan succession. Together, they show founders how to move from fear and impro...

Redemptive Economics, Faith, and the Future of Business in Pittsburgh  Today’s guest is Mike Hatch, pastor, entrepreneur, coach, and founder of Redemptive Economics. With years of ministry leadership and his current work with Truth at Work, Mike empowers Christian business owners to integrate faith into enterprise, create redemptive impact, and influence culture through stewardship and abundance....

Delegation, Burnout, and Building a Healthy Workplace Culture Today’s guest is Alison Pidgeon, licensed therapist, serial entrepreneur, and founder & CEO of Move Forward Counseling. With over 20 years in mental health and six years consulting for private practices, Alison shares her journey of growing a thriving group practice, the leadership lessons she’s learned, and why mental health belong...

Focusing on What You Find: Building Culture and Integrity in Business Brokerage Today’s guest is Veronica Cardinale-Ellinger, CEO of Murphy Business and Financial Corporation, who brings over 20 years of leadership experience across operations, sales, and executive management. Veronica shares her philosophy of focus and culture, explains why business valuation and preparation are crucial, and high...

Embracing individualism goes far in both staffing and autism awareness. Today’s guest is Jamie Turner, President of Acclaim Autism, who brings powerful knowledge in business growth and behavioral analysis. Jamie shares his journey from project management to founding a leading autism service organization, discusses the importance of staff engagement, and offers practical advice for families navigat...

In today’s world, how can business owners and supervisors create a human-centered workplace? Dr. Victoria Mattingly, CEO and Founder of Mattingly Solutions, joins Bill today to give an organizational psychologist’s perspective on workplace culture and inclusion. They discuss the pivotal role of managers as gatekeepers of employee experience and career growth. Victoria shares her extensive knowledg...

What does it mean to be financially free as a business owner? Today’s guest, Brian Laraway, Managing Partner, Vice President, and Wealth Manager at Bury Financial Group, provides a masterclass in financial lessons. The discussion covers the importance of aligning personal goals with business objectives, strategies for growing and selling a business, and the significance of early financial planning...

What are the legal mistakes and pitfalls business owners face? Matthew Bolewitz, Partner at Cozza Law Firm, joins the show today to discuss essential strategies for business growth and legal considerations for entrepreneurs. Matthew emphasizes the importance of knowing your brand, establishing core values, and ensuring you have the right legal structure and advisement. Through actionable insights...

What can you do to protect your brand and ensure business success? Today’s guest is an AI enthusiast and and practicing patent attorney, Curtis Wadsworth, Partner and Chair of Intellectual Property at Jordon Voytek. Curt shares his journey from biology to law, the importance of protecting your brand, and his experiences founding companies in patent consulting and AI solutions for attorneys. The di...

What does it take to buy a business? Dan Kelly, Managing Partner at Two Step Ventures, joins Bill to provide further insights into what exactly it takes to buy a business. Dan shares his extensive experience and insights into buying a business. With over 20 years of working for companies like Stryker, ADP, and Amazon Web Services, Dan discusses his transition from starting small businesses to movi...

How much more money could you be making if you actually understood what was going on in your business? Sigi Loya, President of The Alternative Board Pittsburgh, joins Bill today to provide insight in what really makes a business successful. They delve into essential strategies for business growth, emphasizing the necessity of recognizing and addressing sales challenges, understanding financial met...

Social media is now . If your business isn’t present on social media, you’re falling behind. Today, we take a deep dive into social media strategies with guest Nathalee Arroyo, Client Success Manager and Social Media Strategist at Audience Genomics (Aggie) and a budding entrepreneur. She emphasizes the importance of regular and genuine engagement, sharing insights from her work at Aggie, an AI-dri...

Embrace the small clients before you scale your business. Today, Bill welcomes Daniel Dimitri, CEO and Founder of Pharma Force, to discuss the evolving landscape of the healthcare technology industry. Daniel shares his journey of growing a company in a competitive space, emphasizing the importance of starting small and building credibility. He also highlights the role of anticipation in business s...

Do you want to be a business owner? Consider buying one instead of starting from scratch! Tamara Bey, President of EGR Financial Solutions, joins Bill to dive deep into strategies for business growth. With over two decades of experience in sales leadership, strategic planning, and relationship management, Tamara shares insights on the importance of partnerships, leveraging LinkedIn for networking,...

Five-time founder, Joe Blattner, Owner of COMPackage, joins Bill today to dive into his journey and the secrets of his business success. Joe discusses the importance of keeping burn rates low, the significance of one key business metric, and the necessity of surrounding oneself with the right people. He also discusses how he handles stress, the impact of creative office environments, and his ventu...