Julianne Roth had a choice: buy an existing business or build one from the ground up. She chose to start from scratch and it paid off. In this episode, Julianne shares how she launched her home care company, scaled it into the top 4% of the industry, and led it through a successful acquisition, all while raising kids and staying true to her standards. That same clarity and resilience now fuels her work as a Vistage Chair, where she leads two CE groups, including a 30-year legacy group she was handpicked to take over. We also talk about her second act as a horse farm owner, where 40 chickens and some horses keep things interesting between CEO meetings.
You can contact Julianne at julianne.roth@vistagechair.com or at 860-478-4445.
What if building a Vistage group didn’t require selling at all?
Suzanne Livingston has spent the last 20 years helping hundreds of Vistage Chairs discover a deeper, more sustainable approach to recruiting members—one rooted in purpose, not pressure. She’s not currently a Chair herself, but she’s worked alongside them long enough to know what actually works and what leads to burnout.
In this episode, Suzanne breaks down why so many new Chairs struggle to get traction and how success starts when you align your group with your greater purpose instead of focusing on sales tactics. If you’ve ever felt out of sync with traditional member-building strategies, this episode offers a different and more sustainable way forward.
You can connect with Suzanne via her LinkedIn profile, visit www.suzannelivingston.com to join her email list, or reach out directly at connect@suzannelivingston.com.
Sometimes the million-dollar insight doesn’t come from the $100 million CEO. It comes from the $5 million CEO sitting across the table. That’s the power of Vistage, and it’s the kind of magic Nancy Capistran sees in her groups every month.
Nancy is more than a Vistage Chair: she’s a crisis strategist, a leadership coach, and a self-proclaimed “911 call for executives.” Her journey spans startups, multibillion-dollar companies, and even a stint at the FBI Citizens Academy. In this episode, we talk about what it means to lead in a crisis, how growth can feel like chaos, and why the hardest times in business are often the best times to be part of a peer group.
To connect with Nancy, visit her website, find her on LinkedIn, or email her at nancy.capistran@vistagechair.com.
The values that guide Charlie Hoch today were forged in the military and they haven’t faded one bit.
Charlie Hoch isn’t just launching his first Vistage group, he’s doing it with the intensity and integrity of a former Marine, corporate executive, and leadership trainer. In this episode, we talk about the moment a sergeant major told Charlie to “put the shovel down” (yes, it’s as brutal and brilliant as it sounds), how military leadership shapes his approach today, and why he believes building a peer group is the most fun, and most meaningful work, he’s ever done.
Charlie brings the same integrity and leadership style he learned in the military to every conversation he has with prospective members. He’s not selling: he’s inviting. If you’re ready to grow, he’ll meet you where you are.
You can reach Charlie via email at charlie.hoch@vistagechair.com or by phone or text at (901) 491-8334.
Joe White believes in the power of teams—not just in sports, but in business.
In this episode, Joe breaks down the crossover lessons from his career as a baseball pitcher, teacher, and high school coach into his current role as a Vistage Chair. Be sure to listen when Joe walks through his CPC leadership model: Coach it, Practice it, Challenge it. Most leaders skip the third step, they teach and rehearse but never truly challenge their people. And when those people fail under pressure, no one’s surprised. Joe’s approach is grounded, practical, and battle-tested—and it’s helping business leaders play a bigger game.
Whether you're coaching athletes or executives, the fundamentals are the same: leadership is personal, failure is essential, and growth happens when you’re pushed just beyond comfortable.
You can reach out to Joe via email at joe.white@vistage.com or check out his website www.coachjoewhiteconsulting.com.
Amanda Carrothers grew up with Vistage speakers at the dinner table—literally. Her father, a longtime Chair, exposed her early to the power of peer advisory and the people who make it work. Years later, she bought a training and development company at age 21 and turned it into a global business serving clients like the UN and World Health Organization.
Joining Amanda in this episode is Emma Doyle, Vistage’s 2024 Top New Speaker and a former professional tennis coach who now helps leaders show up with curiosity and connection. Together with Erik, they explore what makes a group thrive, how to create space for deep transformation, and what great speakers actually bring to the room. Amanda shares why passion—not polish—is what leaves a lasting impression, while Emma explains how a single question helps her align each session to the Chair’s vision.
You can connect with Amanda on LinkedIn or at www.amandacarrothers.com and with Emma at www.emmadoyle.com.au
What does it take to build a peer group that actually accelerates growth? According to Denver-area Vistage Chair Michael Flannery, it starts with members who are as eager to give as they are to receive. In this episode, Michael shares how his career as a serial COO and business builder led him to Vistage—and why his groups are full of leaders with big visions and open minds. These are not “lifestyle business” CEOs. They’re founders and executives who crave scale, challenge assumptions, and genuinely want to become better leaders.
Michael also explains why stepping away from the day-to-day to join a Vistage group—just 5% of your time—can actually save you time. With the right peer group, better decisions come faster. If you’ve ever questioned the ROI of joining a CEO group, this conversation will make you think again.
The best way to reach Michael is through LinkedIn or by email at michael.flannery@vistagechair.com.
For our 50th episode of Chairwaves, we’re joined by New York City Chair Mark Taylor, who tackles one of the toughest challenges in group dynamics: How do you serve CEOs ranging from $5M to $350M in revenue? His answer: Triads—small groups of three members with shared characteristics who meet regularly to give each other focused, actionable feedback.
Mark reflects on 20 years as a Chair, the business failure that set him on a better path, and the surprising coaching method that transformed his practice. He also shares how becoming the first Vistage Chair certified in Positive Intelligence sparked a ripple effect that’s now impacted 500+ Chairs and their members. With his energy, insight, and commitment to helping others lead better, Mark was the perfect guest to mark this milestone episode.
The best ways to connect with Mark are via LinkedIn, through his website or by email at mark@marktaylor.nyc.
Facilitating a Vistage group solo means juggling a lot—coaching, listening, guiding, and watching the room. But what if you didn’t have to do it alone?
Aviva Leebow Wolmer and Renee Klein believe two leaders are better than one. Their partnership raises the bar for member impact, decision-making, and group dynamics. With distinct strengths and shared values, co-chairing enables them to stay fully present, read the room, and challenge members more effectively. One leads while the other watches for subtle, game-changing cues, resulting in deeper discussions, broader networks, and sharper insights.
In this episode, they share what it takes to build high-performing peer groups from scratch, why being “coachable” is non-negotiable, and how their shared commitment to growth shapes everything they do. Their “BOGO” model is a high-impact strategy for accelerating growth, deepening engagement, and expanding their reach across multiple groups.
Want to connect or learn more? Reach out to Renee and Aviva on LinkedIn, or email assistant Jessica at jessica@empowerleadership.net.
If you’ve ever reached a point where you thought, “I don’t know how to go on,” you’re not alone—and Steve Sager gets it. Years before selling his business, Steve hit a wall that nearly ended his entrepreneurial journey. From sweeping shop floors in his dad’s countertop business to leading a successful tech company for 19 years, Steve shares his full-circle journey and why he now helps other CEOs avoid the mistakes he once made. With support from Vistage and a dose of hard self-reflection, he found his way forward—and now he’s paying it forward as a Chair. His advice? Ask for help. It’s not weakness—it’s wisdom.
Want to reach Steve? Email him at steve.sager@vistagechair.com or call 303-419-9800.
After 18 years running a digital marketing agency, Denver Vistage Chair Mindy Phillips knows the realities of growth, exit, and reinvention. Now, she’s guiding small business CEOs through challenges she understands firsthand. In this conversation, Mindy shares how her experience scaling an agency prepared her to lead a peer group and why the first year as a Chair is more demanding than expected. She even likens building a Vistage group to online dating—because finding the right members is all about chemistry, trust, and a leap of faith. And through it all, her members continue to sharpen her own leadership by reminding her that the right questions matter more than fast answers.
Connect with Mindy through email at mindy.phillips@vistagechair.com or by phone at 303-517-3849.
Marc Wallace has no plans to slow down—and he’s counting on his members to be the first to tell him if that time comes. The longtime Colorado Vistage Chair has built an ecosystem of groups where candor, trust, and real human connection are the norm. Drawing from an extraordinary career at Dow Chemical, launching and taking a consulting firm public, and navigating personal loss, Marc shares how he’s turned those experiences into wisdom for his members. From helping CEOs open up about life beyond business to inviting his wife into retreats and gatherings, helping members connect on a personal as well as professional level, Marc’s story is proof that staying engaged could be the real secret to longevity—in life and in leadership.
The best way to contact Marc is through email at mark.wallace@vistagechair.com or by phone at 303-641-5804.
Ana Quinn knows what it’s like to guide people through uncertain times. When a career change landed her in coaching just before 9/11, she found herself helping people navigate layoffs, immigration challenges, and personal upheaval. That experience still defines her approach today: meet people where they are, clear the “head trash” that gets in their way, and help them reach their full potential.
Her path to becoming a Vistage Chair started with a nudge from her husband, Chris, but her years of coaching and helping leaders through change made the decision an easy one. Today, Ana and Chris co-chair multiple Vistage groups while running a family business with their two sons — a partnership where his big-picture vision and her execution mindset turn ideas into action.
The best way to connect with Ana is through LinkedIn.
Recruiting new members isn’t just a process—it’s a skill, and one Scott Bunce had to learn the hard way.
Scott’s journey is anything but ordinary. From running global hotel operations to stepping into a Chair role after the sudden passing of his mentor, Scott now leads a thriving group—and is helping his wife launch her own. In this episode, we talk about the emotional transition from member to Chair, the unexpected challenges of recruiting, and what it takes to let go of your “consultant brain” in favor of becoming a true facilitator. Scott breaks down how he evolved from a passionate member into a Chair who’s reshaping the group from the inside out.
To reach Scott, you can email him at scott.bunce@vistage.com or call him at 970-389-4187.
How long does it take to build trust? The answer can vary, but for Nancy Girres, Vistage Chair and Best Practice Chair for Colorado, it can happen fast when you lead with vulnerability. Nancy leads her groups with a level of openness and intention that invites others to do the same. In this conversation, we talk about her journey from tuxedo executive to peer group powerhouse, and how she’s made her Vistage work the most meaningful chapter of her career. From building a CE group in 90 days to launching a new group with her daughter this fall, Nancy’s story is packed with purpose and a little Iowa farm grit.
She also shares the group exercise that never fails to deepen connections: five personal pictures and an “I Am” poem. The result is trust that shows up fast.
The best way to contact Nancy is by email at nancy.girres@vistagechair.com.
RJ Kolton has led soldiers in combat, taught at West Point, worked under the Drug Czar in the White House, and built a private sector career in the government contracting world. Today, he brings all that experience to his Vistage CE group—one that’s made up almost entirely of GovCon CEOs. With government policy shifts constantly in play, RJ’s group stays grounded through a mindset he calls “stoic leadership”: focus on what you can control, support your people, and never lose sight of the mission.
This episode explores RJ’s unique leadership arc—from battlefield to boardroom—and what it takes to lead during uncertain times. He also shares why CEOs must think like athletes: “Last season’s wins are great, but you’ve got to show up ready to play this year.”
To get in touch with RJ you can email him at rj.kolton@vistagechair.com.
How do you go from nurse to franchise founder to aerospace advocate to Vistage Chair? Ask my Chairwaves guest Erin Herringshaw. Her career path is anything but conventional—but every step has led to deeper insight into what business owners truly need: support, perspective, and someone to challenge their blind spots.
In this episode, Erin shares how she built and sold a meal-prep business that started with wine, food stations, and a Sharpie-covered signature wall. She opens up about what it took to launch her first Vistage group, how she screens new members (spoiler: arrogance is a dealbreaker), and the advice she’d give her younger entrepreneurial self. “If I’d had Vistage back then,” she says, “it would’ve changed the whole trajectory.”
The best way to reach Erin is to connect with her on LinkedIn.
When your members name the group “The Refinery” and plan their own retreat, you know something special is happening.
Vistage Chair Jim Ristuccia shares how a retreat full of logos, laughter, and cross-talk turned his CE group into something deeper. From career Navy officer to award-winning COO to full-time Chair, Jim brings a systems mindset and deep emotional intelligence to his work—including a one-of-a-kind Emerging Leaders group he leads for Vistage employees. We cover everything from the power of writing your own CEO job description to what it means to build culture on purpose—not by accident.
To connect with Jim, visit his website.
When a career banker walks away from the industry without a plan, the next chapter isn’t usually “Vistage Chair of five groups and best practice leader for all of Chicago.” But that’s exactly how Aimee Daniels rewrote her story.
In this episode, Aimee shares the moment she stepped away from corporate life and stepped into something entirely new—eventually becoming a Vistage Chair, mentor, and trusted voice among her peers. We talk about the difference between peer pressure and peer support, the unique dynamics of Vistage Inside groups, and why even the most seasoned leaders need a chair of their own. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a Chair—or wondered what makes someone good at it—Aimee breaks it down with clarity and candor.
The best way to contact Aimee is via LinkedIn or by email at aimee.daniels@vistagechair.com.
Before Monty Montoya was a biotech CEO or a Vistage Chair, he was a 22-year-old harvesting corneas from cadavers—an intense, hands-on start to a career in ophthalmology that would eventually earn him the Visionary Award from the Ophthalmology World Leaders. After nearly two decades as a Vistage member, Monty stepped into a new role: Chair of the very same group that had shaped him. That transition—from peer to coach—wasn't easy. He had to unlearn his instinct to “fix” things and instead embrace what his members really needed: a space to feel seen, challenged, and supported. In this episode, Monty shares how one member’s deeply personal breakthrough changed the dynamic of the entire group, and why asking the right question is always more powerful than giving the right answer.
To connect with Monty, email monty.montoya@vistagechair.com.