Growth Problem or Operating Model Problem? | Ep. 270

Every CEO is under pressure to “do something with AI.” Most of them are starting in the wrong place.In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with fellow South Floridian Maribeth Martorana, founder of Sapient Advisors. Maribeth spent her career building enterprise data solutions in financial services, including at Moody’s Analytics. She started Sapient after big AI providers began asking for consulting commitments of $10 million or more. Her question was simple: what happens to the midsize firms that always get squeezed?Maribeth explains why technology is rarely what makes an AI initiative fail. It’s leadership that isn’t aligned, employees who weren’t brought in, and governance that showed up too late. She walks through how to get out of pilot purgatory, how to tell real ROI from busy activity, and why mapping your workflow comes before automating anything. She also explains why your company’s institutional knowledge may be the most valuable thing you own.Then the conversation turns personal. Maribeth shares what it’s really like to go from corporate to first time founder, why she had to make peace with marketing herself, and the one thing she wishes she’d started doing sooner.Bio:Maribeth Martorana, CFA, is Founder and CEO of Sapient Advisors, a data and AI consultancy helping financial services and other mid-market companies develop and implement data and AI strategies. She has spent more than 25 years at the intersection of financial services, data, technology, and product innovation, with a particular focus on turning complex data and emerging technologies into practical products and business solutions. Prior to founding Sapient Advisors, Maribeth held senior product and strategy roles at Aiera, CFA Institute, Moody’s Analytics, and FactSet. At Moody’s Analytics, she led data, AI and machine learning initiatives, product strategy, and strategic partnerships, and earlier in her career developed research and information products at FactSet. Today, she advises executives on AI readiness, data strategy, use case prioritization, and data and AI product development. Maribeth is a frequent speaker and podcast guest, co-chaired New York FinTech Week, mentors early-stage companies through Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, and writes The Strategy Signal, a newsletter exploring strategy, data, AI, and innovation.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribeth-martorana  Substack: https://maribethmartorana.substack.com  Instagram - sapient_advisors and maribethmartorana  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapient-advisors-llc Website:  www.sapient-advisors.com🚨Research Paper:  Building Trust in the Data Supply Chain in an AI-Driven World https://405nn3.share-na2.hsforms.com/2DtZnAp40TDmE-GsdlyyqcA  🚨Monthly Webinar: The 3 AI Readiness Gaps We See in Every Regulated Industry https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/75e66ea4-00a8-4578-a46a-f1f26dfb2c5c@a2f51d08-4f9c-4164-80d2-dc2a9c64a659 Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

What if the marketing that makes your phone ring the most is bringing you the fewest clients you actually want? Dr. David Rominski learned that lesson the hard way. After saving up for a premium ad in his Chicagoland practice, the phones lit up, but only two of the callers were the cases he wanted. So he asked his eight team members to each list their ten favorite patients. Of the 80 names, 62 were the same people, and 58 of those 62 had been referred by another healthcare provider.That discovery became Doctor Referral Institute, which Dr. Dave founded after selling his clinic in 2010. Today his team builds and coaches referral systems for providers in roughly 40 medical and dental specialties across the country.In this conversation, Heidi and Dr. Dave dig into why great care alone doesn't produce referrals, why about 80% of referrals are driven by staff rather than the provider, and why a patient referred by another provider follows through with care around 83% of the time compared to about 21% from ads and email. Dr. Dave also shares how one practice with a two month waiting list was barely profitable, what's fueling his own company's growth, and the three things any business owner can do this week to turn word of mouth into an intentional growth strategy.Bio:President, Doctor Referral InstituteFounder, Referral Growth and Profit SystemMost healthcare practices are full. Schedules are packed, phones are ringing, and the waiting room never empties. And yet the owner is still wondering why the numbers don’t add up at the end of the month. Dr. Dave Rominski has spent more than 25 years inside that problem, first as a clinic owner himself, and now as the person other providers call when they finally get tired of working harder for less.He built Doctor Referral Institute around a simple but overlooked idea:  the practices that win are not the ones with the most patients. They are the ones with the right patients, sent by the right people, on purpose.His Referral Growth and Profit System has helped healthcare leaders across multiple specialties stop relying on unpredictable marketing and start building referral relationships that generate consistent, high-value cases. Dr. Dave does not teach theory. He teaches what he lived.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorreferralinstitute/Email:  [email protected]:  https://referralsfordoctors.com/   🎁Get your free evaluation on the website.Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

What happens when the business owner is the reason the business can't grow? Heidi Schalk sits down with Avigail Schondorf, founder of Alisto Executive Support, a mom of two with AuDHD who built a fractional executive support team in the Philippines after relocating from Israel to Georgia in February 2020.Avi is refreshingly unapologetic. She explains why cloning yourself doubles your weaknesses along with your strengths, how to spot when you've become the bottleneck, and why you should delegate what you don't enjoy instead of what you're bad at. She also shares her five part communication framework, where AI fits (and where it doesn't), and how a deliberately spicy brand helps the right clients find her while the wrong ones keep walking.Bio:Avigail (Avy) Schondorf is a social worker turned entrepreneur who built two companies around the way her brain actually works. She's the founder of Alisto Virtual Workforce, a team of Distant Assistants who specialize in supporting neurodivergent entrepreneurs — and AvyHD, her strategy and thought leadership brand where she gets real about ADHD, delegation, and building a business without burning out.With a background rooted in the nonprofit sector, Avigail believes the right support doesn't just get things done — it changes what's possible. When she's not running her team or hosting the AvyHD Podcast, she's lifting weights, reading, or wrangling two very energetic daughters.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avyhd/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avy.hd/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@avy_hdSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1D3nQ7xwShHn6fk0NdZ5BQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avy-hdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/avyhd-podcast/id1896797392 Website:  https://avyhd.com/ 🎁https://alistova.com/alisto-service-quiz/ Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

What happens when a company grows faster than its foundation can handle? In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Erik Davison, CEO of DBV Solutions Inc., a consulting firm that has spent more than two decades helping organizations in financial services, insurance, banking, and healthcare redesign how they operate. Erik shares why you cannot grow your way out of a poor organizational structure, the early warning signs that your operating model is breaking, and why so many companies reach for outsourcing or new technology when the real issue is their processes.Erik also opens up about where business owners get AI wrong, why change management is far from “fluff,” and how DBV doubled its own growth by applying the same discipline it brings to clients. If you are a CEO feeling pressure to grow while navigating AI, rising costs, and uncertainty, this conversation gives you a clear place to start.Bio:As founder and CEO of DBV Solutions, Inc., I lead advisory and execution engagements focused on complex transformation, BPO, and operating‑model redesign for insurers, brokers, and financial services firms. I partner with executives as a senior‑level advisor and program leader when they need measurable margin improvement, disciplined delivery, and change that sticks.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbvsolutions/ Website:  www.DBVSolutions.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

In his first ever podcast interview, Ken Christie, Chief Operating Officer of VTS Consultants, joins Heidi Schalk on the Business Growth Spotlight. With twenty years in aseptic manufacturing and twenty five years in consulting, Ken helps regulated manufacturers prepare for FDA inspections, respond to observations, and keep pace with expectations that rise as technology and equipment design evolve.Ken shares why clients choose a consulting partner for honesty, a real understanding of their business, and a fair scope of work, and why he personally vets every consultant before they reach a client site. Drawing on more than 250 supplier audits worldwide, he explains how an audit reveals the truth about leadership commitment and how a company operates when the FDA isn’t at the door. His clearest sign of a healthy quality culture is leadership with manufacturing experience that thinks problems through instead of reaching for a quick fix. Quality, as Ken puts it, starts at the top.About Ken:EXPERIENCE:1998 – Dec. 2025Chief Operating OfficerDirected company’s growth strategies, managed multiple client projects, assured client’s satisfaction of services and consultants placed on projects, along with acting as a material subject expert on the qualification of manufacturing equipment, utilities, processes, and sterile products produced through aseptic processing.Routinely performed vendor/supplier and GxP quality system audits (GMP, GLP, ISO, tissue banks (AATB) and GCP), and evaluated regulatory compliance needs for clients. Provided senior level reviews of quality systems relating to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, APIs, medical devices processes and cosmetics. Provides compliance direction for addressing regulatory issues associated with FDA 483 audit observations, CAPA investigations, warning letters and consent decrees. Accomplishments include working on consent decree remediation issues for aseptically produced products, assisting clients in Japan, Dubai, Spain, China, and India by addressing audit observations and corrective actions dealing with sterilization. Performs PAI’s (pre-approval inspections) against current standards as found in the FDA’s ‘Pre-Approval Inspection Compliance Program #7346.832. Performed over 250 supplier audits ranging from slaughterhouses, tissue banks, clinical trials to testing laboratories for verification of meeting cGMPs, ISO standards,  21 CFR regulations (210-211, 820, 1271, Part 11, etc.) and corporate expectations.Seasoned industry speaker and trainer at professional conferences on a global basis on various cGMP issues along with being an “industry trainer” for various professional organizations such as ISPE, the Institute of International Research (IIR) in the US, IPA and AAPS of Canada and Shanghai NovoSciences. Topics covered include cGMPs for sterile products, Role of QA Professionals, Change Control, Environmental Monitoring and Quality Systems for Medical Devices to name a few. Author of several articles dealing with the Challenges of Aseptic Processing.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-christie-4980135/Website:  www.vtsconsults.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

What does a $3 million road salt mistake have to do with growing your business? More than you might think. In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Eric Schnurer, president and founder of Public Works LLC, a consulting firm that helps state, local, national and international governments operate better and spend smarter.Can a small consulting firm win against the biggest names in the industry? Eric Schnurer, founder of Public Works LLC and former chief of staff to the Governor of Pennsylvania, has been doing it for thirty years. On this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, he joins host Heidi Schalk to share how his firm helps governments improve efficiency, cut waste and save taxpayers millions.Eric explains why the biggest savings often come from listening to frontline employees, including a West Virginia road salt fix that saved $3 million a year. He shares how his firm competes on quality instead of price, the simple sales system he borrowed from political fundraising, and why he never ends a call without setting a follow up date. He also makes a bold prediction: AI will level the playing field for small businesses, and human judgment and creativity will matter more than ever.Bio:What does a $3 million road salt mistake have to do with growing your business? More than you might think. In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Eric Schnurer, president and founder of Public Works LLC, a consulting firm that helps state, local, national and international governments operate better and spend smarter.Eric never set out to be an entrepreneur. After serving as chief of staff to the Governor of Pennsylvania, he saw something most people missed in 1995: the internet was about to make geography irrelevant, even for government. Thirty years later, his firm has reviewed entire state governments in eight states, completed nearly sixty agency, city and school district reviews, and is currently leading an efficiency assessment of the City of Austin.Eric shares why the best cost savings often come from the people doing the work rather than the people in the corner office, including the West Virginia highway team that saved taxpayers $3 million a year simply by calibrating their salt spreaders. He explains why a third of a leader’s time belongs to the team, and why leadership is more about listening than talking.He also opens up about the hard strategic choice his firm made to stop competing on price and start competing on quality against the biggest consulting names in the world. You’ll hear the surprisingly simple business development system he borrowed from political fundraising, a contact list he has kept open on his computer for thirty years, and the one rule he never breaks on a sales call: never hang up without setting a date to talk again.Finally, Eric makes a bold case about AI. He believes it will hollow out the big consulting model within a few years, putting enormous power on everyone’s desktop and giving small firms a real edge. What stays valuable? Human judgment, creativity and hard earned experience that no algorithm can reproduce.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericschnurer/ Substack:  https://ericschnurer.substack.com/ Website:  www.public-works.org                   https://erischnurer.com “Democracy Disrupted” in The Hedgehog Review:  https://hedgehogreview.com/issues/the-use-and-abuse-of-history/articles/democracy-disrupted “The Incredible Shrinking World Order” in Aspenia, Issue 1 of 2026, “The New Scramble” Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 🎁AI Visibility Assessment:   https://visibilitygrowthindex.com/assessment 

Why do so many business owners feel powerless right now, and what can they do about it? Heidi Schalk sits down with Sharon Seivert, founder and CEO of Core Coaching and Consulting, to explore the Six Powers, an ancient model of balance that Sharon has turned into a practical framework for leaders, teams, and entire organizations. Sharon explains why the real problem in a business usually starts somewhere other than where it shows up, why fear driven decisions quietly weaken a company, and how pausing for just five minutes can change the quality of every decision you make. Sharon is offering a free session to the first ten listeners who reach out, so grab the link in the show notes.Bio:Sharon Seivert is the Founder and CEO of Core Coaching & Consulting, LLC, where she works at the intersection of leadership, systems thinking, and organizational health. A former CEO in healthcare and business consulting, Sharon brings decades of hands-on experience guiding leaders and companies through complex change with clarity, compassion, and strategic acumen.She is the author of multiple books on her signature SIX POWERS® framework. This holistic, systemic approach has activated leadership and improved organizational health across industries. This latest book offers a deeper dive into her methodology, drawing on lived experiences, inspiring client stories, and the urgent need for healthier ways to live and lead.Throughout her career, Sharon has helped startups find their footing, Fortune 500 companies regain their soul, and leaders at every level reconnect to their purpose. Her work seamlessly blends timeless wisdom with cutting-edge strategy, grounded in the belief that sustainable success is only possible when people, organizations, and systems all thrive.Sharon is also a sought-after business consultant, leadership coach, and speaker.  Her colleagues and clients frequently cite her humor, warmth, pragmatic approach, wisdom, and tireless passion to help people unlock their full potential, especially in times of uncertainty. Whether working with executives, emerging leaders, teams, or entire systems, Sharon’s mission is the same: to evolve naturally from the inside out, spiraling up to significant and lasting transformation.Sharon lives and works on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts, collaborating with a global community of changemakers who, like her, are committed to powering a better reality for all of humanity in these difficult times — and a better tomorrow for future generations.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonseivert/ Website:  www.corecoachingconsulting.com 🎁"Power Reset" session with Sharon. Make an appointment and let Sharon know you heard her on Business Growth Spotlight. This offer is for the first ten people who make an appointment via this link:  https://calendly.com/sseivert-1/power-reset-strategy-session Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with retired Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann, former US Army Green Beret, playwright, bestselling author, and founder of Rooftop Leadership and the Scott Mann Leadership Academy. Scott spent decades building rapport in some of the lowest trust environments on earth, from Colombia and Peru to multiple tours in Afghanistan. Today he teaches founders, sales teams, and executives how to use those same skills to make real human connections in a world where trust has never been lower and distraction has never been higher.Scott explains why rapport is the operating system running underneath every sales process, why storytelling is the one thing AI cannot replicate, and why most deals are lost long before the pitch begins. He also shares the story behind Operation Pineapple Express, the volunteer effort that helped hundreds of Afghan allies escape during the 2021 collapse, and how it became his one man show, Eleven Days. Heidi and Scott get honest about burnout, the hidden load founders carry, and the simple four minute routine that can change how you walk into any room.Bio:Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Scott Mann is a former U.S. Army Green Beret with tours all over the world including Colombia, Peru, and multiple tours in Afghanistan. He is a warrior storyteller, host of The Scott Mann Podcast, and the founder of Rooftop Leadership andScott Mann Leadership Academy, where he shares the rapport-building and storytelling skills he learned in Special Forces to help today's leaders make better human connections in high-stakes, low-trust engagements. Scott is the author of The Generosity of Scars, a field guide to elevating your message through strategic storytelling, and the instant New York Times Best Seller, Operation Pineapple Express, a third-person narrative detailing the harrowing stories of the Veterans, volunteers, and Afghan Allies who navigated the US abandonment of Afghanistan in August of 2021. He is the founder of the 501c3 Task Force Pineapple that supports Veterans and educates civilians. Scott is also a playwright and actor with his one man play, 11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express, touring across the country to provide healing to our veterans and families of the fallen, as well as providing insight on the personal cost of the longest war in our nation’s history.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidscottmann/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ScottMannAuthor IG: https://www.instagram.com/scottmannauthor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheScottMannPodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottmannleadership Website:  www.scottmann.com Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

Colin Lepiscopo has spent 13 years in marketing, including CMO and Director of Innovation roles. He’s the founder of AI Advantage Agency and the new civilian self defense media brand Model Civilian. In this episode, Heidi and Colin talk about what happens when a seasoned marketer becomes a first stage founder again. He explains why his first guess about his audience was completely wrong, and why he now takes language straight from his comments section. He also shares what years of jiu jitsu taught him about doing the basics before the flashy moves. Colin also explains why AI search has already changed how customers find businesses. Bio:Colin Lepiscopo is the founder of Model Civilian, a media brand teaching everyday people practical self-defense skills and situational awareness, built on the idea of being capable, not costumed. He works full time in professional security and executive protection, trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, and holds serious firearms training. Alongside Model Civilian, he plays an active role growing an AI marketing agency currently rebuilding around answer engine optimization. Ten percent of Model Civilian's proceeds go to We Get Water.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/modelcivilian/Website:  modelcivilian.com  & AIAdvantageAgency.com🎁Free Guide:  https://news.modelcivilian.com/bioConnect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

Jerry Lujan spent 17 years grinding toward a million dollar book of business in his family’s insurance agency, working close to 100 hours a week. Then his five year old daughter booked an appointment with him, took him to the park, and asked why he didn’t love her. That moment changed everything. Over the next four years, Jerry quadrupled his business while working about half the hours, was named one of the 25 most innovative insurance agents in America, and eventually sold his interest to teach others how he did it.In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk and Jerry dig into why burnout is just as predictable as high performance. Jerry explains the three parts of the mind that need to be in alignment for sustainable success: what motivates you, how you naturally take action, and whether you have the ability to do the work. He shares his simple four bucket exercise (Drain, Leak, Maintain, and Sustain) for finding your zone of genius and deciding what to delegate, plus a client story about an insurance producer who quadrupled her book once she stopped trying to work the way everyone told her she should.They also talk about elevating your value in an AI world. Jerry believes AI will win the transaction game, which means the biggest opportunity now belongs to people who play the connection game. He closes with a reminder that finding the place where you do your best work is how you protect your confidence.Bio:Jerry Lujan is the founder of ELEVATION180, a transformational coaching and mentoring organization dedicated to helping producers, agencies, business leaders, and teams achieve lifelong, sustainable results.With more than 30 years of experience in insurance agency ownership, sales production, and sales management, Jerry brings a unique perspective grounded in real-world experience. But his approach to success was shaped by more than business results—it was shaped by the personal cost of achieving them.As a driven insurance producer, Jerry spent 17 years working 60–100 hours a week to build a $1 million book of business, believing it would ultimately provide the autonomy and financial freedom he wanted. Instead, he came to realize that his definition of success was costing him something far more valuable: time with his family.A pivotal moment came when his five-year-old daughter, Kelley, asked him why he didn't love her after he had finally made time to take her to the park. That wake-up call changed the way Jerry thought about success, business, and life.Jerry set out to create a better way to build a successful business—one that didn't require sacrificing the things that mattered most. Using the principles and strategies he developed, he quadrupled his production in just four years while doing so in half the time.Today, Jerry works alongside his daughter and business partner, Kelley, to help others achieve meaningful, sustainable success without making the same sacrifices he once did. Through ELEVATION180, Jerry and his team help clients create predictable results by aligning business performance with personal growth, leadership, and what matters most in life.The results speak for themselves: producers have achieved average year-over-year growth of 26%, businesses have experienced revenue growth in the tens and hundreds of millions, and leaders have gained a deeper understanding of themselves, their teams, and their clients to perform at the highest level.Jerry's mission is simple: to help people achieve the success they want while still being there for everything that matters in their lives.To connect with our guest, click on the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevation180/?viewAsMember=trueInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevation180/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elevation180/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ELEVATION180/shortsX: https://x.com/ELEVATION180TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elevation180 Website:  https://elevation180.com/ 🎁https://elevation180.com/performance Connect with me:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/Website:  https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com  🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint