Lessons from the Boardroom
29 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsThe Lessons From The Boardroom podcast brings together successful CEOs and Presidents of growing small and mid-sized companies from around the world to share successes, challenges, and what’s working now to grow a business, build a culture of accountability and profitability, and increase freedom for you, the business owner and CEO.
Tune in each week as Kevin Minton of Chief Executive Boards International interviews a new leader.
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Episodes
Scott Snider | Making A Pivotal Shift to Collaborative Leadership
February 25, 2021 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBOur special guest on this week’s episode of our Lessons From the Boardroom Podcast is Scott Snider. Scott operates as Vice President of the Exit Planning Institute, based out of Cleveland, Ohio, where he is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, along with overseeing the company's operations and chapter development. Scott is also an entrepreneur and the Operating Partner of Snider Premier Growth, a private investment firm. “CEPA is our main credential— certif...
Scott Groshans | Developing a Unique Product With Nearly Zero Turnover
February 18, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 38.3 MBOn this week’s episode of the Lessons From the Boardroom podcast, we speak with Scott Groshans. He is the Vice President of Operations for PBI Performance Products, Inc. in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and has been with the company for 38 years. PBI was purchased from Celanese by the InterTech Group back in 2005 and focuses on manufacturing high-performance polymers and fibers primarily for the firefighter protective apparel market. We chat about the development of PBI and its involv...
Mike Davis | Building Lifelong Customer Relationships By Aligning With the Right Companies
February 11, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 30.4 MBOn this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Mike Davis. Mike is the President and Senior Partner of Hill Electric Company. The company performs machinery installations, including panel placement, power control, and data management, for many manufacturers in their home state of South Carolina. Mike says, “There are no shortcuts. You have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices, and put in a lot of long hours, a lot of long weeks, and maybe even...
Robert Duermit | Mapping Out Your Company’s Future
February 04, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 26.3 MBOn this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Robert Duermit. He is the President of Kinsale Contracting Group, a selective demolition and environmental company based in Chicago, Illinois. Alongside three other partners, Robert started Kinsale in 2001, offering lead, asbestos and mold removal, and remediation. Robert has since become President and continues to grow and evolve a very successful company. Robert says, “Sometimes when you're trying t...
Ben Tarrier | How Mis-takes Lead to Innovation
January 21, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 33.3 MBOur special guest on this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast is Ben Tarrier, Vice President of The Tarrier Steel Company in Columbus, Ohio. He is a fourth-generation leader of the structural steel fabrication company after his great-grandfather founded the business 100 years ago. He's a husband, a father of three, and a veteran army officer. Ben came up the old fashioned way, starting on the shop floor as a general laborer and eventually working his way through...
Andrew Loff | From Start-Up to Multimillion-Dollar Manufacturing Company
January 14, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 31.4 MBThis week, on the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Andrew Loff, the Co-Founder of Composite Advantage, an infrastructure company specializing in large structural fiberglass components. They’ve engineered longer-lasting materials for vehicle bridges, rails platforms, and various other heavy infrastructure type products. Based out of Dayton, Ohio, they’ve grown from a start-up to a successful multimillion-dollar infrastructure company manufacturing new product lines. ...
Edward Niles | Establishing a Family-Oriented Company Culture
January 07, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 35 MBOn this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Edward Niles, CEO and Owner of Network Controls, a leading full service provider of structured cabling, outside plant, wireless access and controls, surveillance systems, communications, and technology infrastructure. Ed says, “Building a culture that is very family orientated takes time and it takes effort; you have to focus on it, you have to try to make it. A culture just doesn't happen, you have to...
Vincent DeLeonardis | Seamless Transition of Leadership
December 31, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutes - 38.6 MBOur special guest on this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast is Vince DeLeonardis, President of Auch Construction since 2006, a privately held construction management firm based in Pontiac, Michigan, founded in 1908. They enjoy over 95% repeat business, a rare statistic for a construction management firm. Vince says, “Our greatest success has been seeing the transformation of our next generation as they're taking care of problems, and in keeping with our core...
Zoltan Kovacs | Consistent Decisive Leadership
December 24, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 33 MBOn this week’s episode of Lessons From the Boardroom, we speak with Zoltan Kovacs, President of Perram Electric and Lampion Companies since 2009. They are heavy highway electrical contractors specializing in traffic signals, highway lighting, outdoor lighting, and airport lighting all over Ohio and western Pennsylvania and have been in operation since 1986. Zoltan says, “We do what we say we're going to do, and then we go out and we do it well. Follow through on your commitments an...
Steve Bitzer | Lasting Innovations as a Result of the Pandemic
December 17, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 31.5 MBOn this week’s episode of Lessons from the Boardroom, we speak with Steve Bitzer. He started his career straight out of high school as a welder, a steel fabricator, and an erector and progressed to become the President of Deerfield Construction company in 1988, where he presides over the company today. Steve says, “If you're not striving to be better, all the time, then it's going to get stagnant at some point, and you're going to lose employees, you're going to lose customers, it...
Ryan Yeoman | Creating an Empowering Environment
December 10, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 34.5 MBThis week, on Lessons from the Boardroom, we speak with Ryan Yeoman, President of ADW, an OEM automotive distribution company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. ADW warehouses sells OEM parts and accessories from General Motors and parts from Ford Motor Company. Ryan was formerly the COO of Capterra, a technology and online media company he co-founded in 2000. Ryan says, “The more deliberate you are, the clearer you are on what your culture is, what you stand for, the better chance ...
Murrel Karsh | Reinvention During COVID and the Importance of Perseverance
December 03, 2020 10:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBOn this week’s episode of Lessons From the Boardroom, we speak with Murrel Karsh, the President and Co-Founder of Windy City Fieldhouse and WCF Events in Chicago, Illinois. The Fieldhouse itself is a 55,000 square foot sports and entertainment complex, which represents just a portion of their business model. They are also the largest team building and corporate entertainment company in the midwest, with additional events being performed all over the country. Murrel says, “The uniq...
Arjun Dhake | Mindset Matters for Global Expansion
November 26, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MBOn this week’s episode of Lessons from the Boardroom, we speak to Arjun Dhake, Vice President of Business Development at Dhake Industries. The company has been supplying paint and coatings for vehicle interiors as well as hubcaps to suppliers all over the world for over 41 years. Arjun has been immersed in Dhake Industries since his childhood and has embodied every role in each department in order to effectively execute decisions for the whole of the company. We chat about the p...
Chris Eifert | Bringing Constructive Tension Into Your Business
November 19, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBOn this week’s episode, we speak with Chris Eifert, a mechanical engineer who always knew his true path would be one that led him to customer service. Chris was able to make his dreams come true when he became an owner of TriComB2B, an award winning business to business marketing agency with a focus on supporting technical industries. He talks about the ups and downs of the marketing world running a marketing agency that’s number one in its field. “A mentor of mine taught me that c...
Eero Pikat | Investing During a Downturn - Is it Worth the Risk?
November 17, 2020 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBOn this week’s episode, we speak with Eero Pikat, President of Barchart. Eero began his journey with Barchart as a highschool student and through hard work and perseverance, has evolved the company into a global financial technology leader, providing market data and services to global financial, media, and commodity industries. He joins us today to speak about the trials and successes he experienced along the way. “We've always been careful not to overextend ourselves. We have a di...
Timothy Allen | The Silver Lining of the COVID-19 Downturn
November 12, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBOn this week’s episode, we’re joined by Tim Allen, CEO of Oberon Technologies. Tim has over 35 years of experience with automating the delivery of enterprise content and virtual reality training. Oberon Technologies has a staff that is over 90% virtual, with its executive team spread across five states, and employees in 33. Tim had this to say about team collaboration during the pandemic: “One of the things I think that really helped us and made us successful in this was getting e...
Robert Kornfeld | How to Get Million-Dollar Deals Done
November 10, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MBHi-Tech Furnace Systems produces niche products for very specific industries, including cleaning systems for jet engines and industrial gas turbines for power generation, among others. But, as president and owner of the company for almost 25 years, Robert Kornfeld has seen the power of having a “small” yet very vital product. Hi-Tech has worked with GE, Siemens, Pratt and Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and many other powerhouse companies over the years. They have an international footpri...
Matt Ray | Tripling Revenues in 10 Years
November 05, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBBack in 2009, Matt Ray didn’t know what he was getting into when he bought Midwest Retail Services. But he smelled opportunity, even during that tough time for our economy. Today, this former salesman is still the proud owner and president of this business that provides shelving, displays, and more to stores. In fact, since he took over, the business’s revenues have tripled. His philosophy since the beginning has been to enjoy the ups and downs, the triumphs and the struggle...
Steve Hoffman | From Manager to Owner
November 03, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBSteve Hoffman’s two businesses are definitely complimentary. Skyline provides exhibit design services for tradeshows, while Steve’s new startup, Innovative Environments, provides corporate interior design and signage. He’s been able to leverage a lot from the old into the new. But his career background is quite different than the “visual impact pieces” his businesses provide today… or is it? He worked in TV for many years… until he knew he needed a change in location and profess...
Brian English | Reconfiguring Your Corporate Culture
October 28, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MBOn this week’s episode, we speak with special guest, Brain English, Co-Owner and President of 4 Walls, a Cleveland-based company specializing in designing and producing digitally printed wallcoverings, window films, acoustic fabrics, and other decor solutions. Brian started his career as an accountant, but ultimately decided to transition to entrepreneurship to create a lifestyle that better suited his growing family. “I felt very restricted in the corporate world, and I just kept ...
Douglas Morris | The Importance of Focus
October 21, 2020 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBWhen Douglas Morris was in high school, he started computer programming – and loved it. So it’s no surprise that today he’s the founder and CEO of Computer Systems Innovations, Inc., which has helped nonprofit organizations with their technology needs since 1991. Specifically, with their membership software for things like paying dues, event registrations, and more. Douglas believes in hands-on work and leadership in the company and that even he can always learn something n...
Robert Gilmore | Keys to Building a Successful Grassroots Business
October 14, 2020 09:00 - 19 minutes - 18 MBOn this week’s episode, we chat with Rob Gilmore, Founder and CEO of RX’n’Go, about his journey to building a successful grassroots business. After spending 25 years working for major insurance companies in employee benefits and two years working as a benefit advisor, Rob started RX’n’Go to address some common frustrations with pharmacy costs and delivery of medications. Since founding the company with his partner in 2010, they have grown from one account to over 250 employer group...
Mike Thurow | The Secrets of 33 Years of Success
October 07, 2020 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBThere is a saying that goes, “What have you done for me lately?” For technology companies, that means a focus on innovation through research and development because customers are always looking for faster, more effective products. Spectrum Technologies helps growers, from farmers to golf course turf managers, get the most out of their land through close monitoring of weather, soil conditions, nutrient management, and more. So it’s no surprise Mike Thurow, who founded the company...
Sean Steimle | Avoiding Company Culture Shock
September 30, 2020 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBSean Steimle, CEO of HPC Fire Inspired, shares how he came to own the company – and the steps he took before the deal to make it happen. He also goes into what the transition was like when he had to blend the existing, already-effective company culture with a growth-oriented mindset to take the business to the next level. He says it was one his greatest challenges as a CEO, but he and his team were able to overcome it with one key process. Of course, with things like this, Sean ...
Darren Springer | How Growth Impacts Management Style – and Vice-Versa
September 23, 2020 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBWhen you have a compensation structure based on sales and profitability targets, it can be a challenge to keep your team working together towards common goals, says Darren Springer. But as president and part-owner DEVITA Engineering, Darren has found a balance that incentivizes team members to excel in their individual roles but also support company goals. A big part of that is a leadership style that provides encouragement and stresses accountability. He’s doing something r...
Tim Gase | Maintaining a Profitable Business in a Mature Industry
September 10, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we’re joined by Tim Gase, Co-Owner and CEO of the Peerless Saw Company. Tim has been very successful in owning and leading an industrial manufacturing company in the heart of the midwest and has also positioned himself to be able to back away from his business on his own terms. Through his career, Tim has only ever worked for two companies. He began at Cooper Industries in Dayton, Ohio, where he held 8 job titles over 12 years in addition to earning his MBA...
Richard Hagins | The Importance of Company Culture to Your Business’ Success
September 10, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBOn this week’s episode, we’re joined by special guest Richard Hagins. Richard comes from a humble background and has propelled himself through challenges and obstacles to position himself as a pillar of leadership within his community. After serving his country for 23 years as a US Naval Officer, Richard followed his entrepreneurial spirit when he founded US&S Inc. in 2003. He has received several accolades and awards, most recently being named Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 - Southe...
Jamie Prince | Building Empathy and Learning to Manage People
September 10, 2020 08:30 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we’re joined by special guest Jamie Prince, the Owner and President of Flourish, a marketing, public relations, and events firm she founded in the midst of the Great Recession. Since 2009, she’s grown her team to include twelve professionals, together with whom her firm has served over 100 brands across the southeast and has garnered over 60 awards for their work. “Flourish began with just myself helping companies weather the recession, and believe it or not...
The Must-Listen Podcast for Business Leaders
September 10, 2020 08:00 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MBAs a business owner, president, or CEO, there are two ways you can grow the business: be a grinder, working 60 or 70 hours a week or… you can work smarter and actually enjoy the financial and personal freedom being the boss is supposed to be all about. I’m Kevin Minton, CEO of Chief Executive Boards International. Drawing upon my 25+ years of experience in sales, sales leadership, and management, I’m seeking to help owners find balance in their lives – and still achieve breakthroug...