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 collections, to a kitchen-table startup, to launching multiple businesses, to ultimately becoming th...

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, simulated environments that challenge leaders to make real-time decisions, manage teams, and build...

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 250, and what it’s really taken to scale a startup into a global EdTech leader. Together, Heidi a...

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, but to grow as individuals who impact their teams, families, and communities. From the Eight Prin...

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 trusted partners, not product experts. From building global training programs to leading with empa...

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 funding, rebuild operations, and regain stability when the unexpected strikes. Heidi and Chase also disc...

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 more) into clear, actionable insights. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Sturdy’s AI works: The differ...

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—especially in the fast-moving world of AI and real-time data. From overcoming the limitations of tradition...

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 hospitality career and eventually transitioning into human development and leadership training. Today, her o...

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 — and the pivotal moments that shaped their success. From building strong client relationships to n...

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, “Shiny Objects: How Technology is Outshining the Human in HR (and What to Do About It)”, and explai...

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 chains, and the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing market. This episode offers val...

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 conversation dives into the challenges startups face in gaining visibility, the evolving role of ...

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 the evolving relationship between sales and marketing in today’s AI-driven landscape, offering ...

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 priorities. He also dives into the growing impact of AI and emerging technologies in engineering ...

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 adaptability to customer demands, and how strategic partnerships play a crucial role in driving long-ter...

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 shares how understanding tone, emotion, and personality through voice data helps companies make bet...

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 operations. The conversation explores: The future of AI agents and their potential to streamline decision-...

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 environment. She also dives into the evolving expectations for marketing leaders, emphasizing the need f...

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 limited budgets can still create significant impact. He highlights the role of community enga...