Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Michael J. Becker, founder of Identity Praxis, educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic leader who has spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology reshapes the way we work, think, and connect. His work centers on a vital shift: moving organizations away from transactional thinking, where people and data are treated as one-off numbers, and toward relational approaches built on genuine trust and lasting connection.

Michael walks through the four pillars of what he calls relational technology architecture: artificial intelligence, identity and data sovereignty, knowledge management, and engagement. He unpacks the difference between deterministic, generative, and agentic AI, and explains why human agency and sovereignty matter more than ever as autonomous agents begin acting on our behalf. Along the way he shares a chilling real-world example of an AI agent that erased a company's entire production database and every backup in a matter of seconds.

The conversation moves into what all of this means for how businesses reach people. Michael explains the coming shift from the traditional purchase funnel to relationship journeys, the rise of RCS messaging, the emergence of self-sovereign identity and "MyTerms" protocols, and why the connected individual has become the point of sale. He and Heidi also dig into the growing reality that buyers now research and get recommendations through AI rather than traditional search, why that makes findability and recommendability essential, and how to use AI in content without losing the human voice that earns trust.

This is a wide-ranging, forward-looking conversation that every business leader needs to hear, because the infrastructure underneath how we connect, communicate, and conduct commerce is already changing beneath our feet.

Bio:

Hi, I’m Dr. Michael J. Becker. My work focuses on a simple, yet vital shift: moving organizations away from 'transactional' thinking—where people and data are treated like one-off numbers to be processed—and toward 'relational' approaches that build genuine trust and lasting connections.

In today's complex world, I help leaders and teams clear the noise, manage their information better, and make decisions that actually lead to meaningful results. As the founder of Identity Praxis, an educator at Cal Poly Pomona and National University, and a strategic advisor, I’ve spent over two decades helping people navigate how technology changes the way we work, think, and solve problems together.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaeljbecker/ 

Website:  www.identitypraxis.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

Most business owners chase the next shiny AI tool while the real growth killers sit hidden in plain sight. In this episode, Heidi Schalk sits down with Darrell Gunter, strategic management consultant and host of Leadership with Darrell W. Gunter, to talk about the friction points quietly slowing your business down and why the tried-and-true fundamentals still outperform every trend.

With more than 25 years building high-performing teams and scaling organizations from startups to billion-dollar companies, Darrell breaks down where growth actually stalls. He walks through the critical path from prospect to invoice, the friction points that live along the way, and why sometimes the person creating the friction is the leader. He makes the case that vision, mission, current job descriptions, and real performance reviews are not busywork, they are the foundation most companies skip.

The conversation moves into AI as a behavioral and mindset shift rather than an IT project, and why leaders who hand it off entirely are missing the point. Darrell shares how he uses AI for analysis, prospecting, and competitive intelligence, and offers a grounded reframe for teams resisting change: it is not that you don't have time, it is where you are choosing to spend it.

He also opens up about his own growth edge right now, protecting his time. After spreading himself across five nonprofit boards, he is learning to choose one opportunity out of ten, and explains why saying no is a growth strategy. Plus, his consultative outreach method that lands the meeting every time, why he skips mass mailing and drip campaigns, and a look at his new venture, Pubs 21, a professional information platform built on AI and blockchain.

Bio:

Darrell W. Gunter is a strategic management consultant, executive advisor, and media host with more than 25 years of experience building high-performing teams and scaling growth-oriented organizations. He specializes in the intersection of strategy, business ideation, and commercialization—operating on the principle that sustainable business growth is achieved when all three are tightly aligned. Darrell works with executives, boards, and founders to drive clarity, execution, and measurable outcomes, and he is also the host of *Leadership with Darrell W. Gunter*, where he explores leadership, innovation, and enterprise transformation.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellwgunter/

Website:  https://www.guntermediagroup.com/ 

Podbean - https://bit.ly/LeadershipDWGunter

YouTube - https://bit.ly/LwDWGYouTube2

Broadcasts Sunday 8 am ET wsou.net /iheart

Podbean 370+ shows -  https://bit.ly/LeadershipDWGunter

YouTube 40+ shows more to be uploaded - https://bit.ly/LwDWGunterYT

Seton Hall Univ. WSOU 89.5 FM / wsou.net 8 am EST Sundays 

Text:  973.454.3475

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Julien Recoussine, founder and managing partner of Sales Fixx and the self described "sales samurai." Julien reframes selling as an act of service rather than confrontation, drawing on the origin of the word samurai, which stems from service rather than warfare. The conversation moves through the neuroscience of buying decisions, why trust drives roughly seventy percent of the decision before a single product detail is mentioned, and why great salespeople sort rather than convince.

Julien breaks down the pain versus gain equation that governs human decision making, explaining that people default to avoiding pain seventy percent of the time and lean toward risk avoidance ninety percent of the time when the two forces are matched. He shares why most sales teams are trained ninety percent on product knowledge and almost nothing on the psychology of human to human interaction, and how that gap quietly limits growth.

The discussion turns to AI and its proper place in the modern sales process. Julien is candid about where AI creates real value, in research, lead vetting, content drafting, and freeing reps to focus on the human moments that actually close deals, and where it is being badly misused as a bigger shovel digging faster in the wrong spot. Heidi and Julien explore Answer Engine Optimization, the growing importance of being recommended by AI platforms, and why trust remains the one thing technology cannot replace. Julien closes with a message to salespeople everywhere that selling is a learnable skill rooted in understanding how humans make decisions, and that manipulation is acceptable only when the intent is to reach an honest yes or no.

Bio:

L. Julien Recoussine is the founder and managing partner of Sales Fix, a management consulting firm specializing in sales training and coaching. Sales Fix helps salespeople and companies improve their sales conversations, with a focus on clear and concise communication — minimizing time spent on uncommitted prospects while increasing sales through genuine understanding of customer needs, finding common ground, creating interest, and providing value. 

Born in France and raised internationally across Europe and the Americas, Recoussine holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Miami (1993) and brings experience from previous roles at notable companies including Amazon, Groupon, TruGreen, and Entertainment Publications, Inc. 

Affectionally referred to as a "Sales Samurai,"  Recoussine is dedicated to serving sales professionals to cut through selling obstacles using strategy and sales science. He is the host of The Sales Fix Podcast, where he guides listeners toward better client conversations and a smarter strategic approach to selling — drawing on psychology, science, and the art of human connection to elevate sales performance.

Colleagues and clients describe Recoussine as "the most dynamic and passionate sales coach" they've worked with — someone who diagnoses challenges and revenue opportunities quickly, designs gap-closing strategies, and drives measurable results. 

A recognized voice in the local business community, Recoussine was recently selected to present at Florida State University Panama City's Leadership Strategies event, sharing his expertise in a TED Talk format alongside other Bay County entrepreneurs

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienrecoussine/

X:  https://x.com/SalesFixx

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@salesfixinc9019

Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-3239562

AI Julien:  https://persona.yoorz.ai/expert/ai-julien 

Website:  www.salesfixx.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

What does it take to leave behind a successful career, move to a new country without a concrete plan, and build a company that helps startups expand across continents?

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Yousra Gaballah, founder of Sprintly Partners, to discuss how she transformed uncertainty into opportunity. Originally from Egypt, Yousra shares her remarkable journey through leadership roles at Careem, Amazon, and the startup ecosystem before launching a company dedicated to helping founders bridge the gap between the Middle East and the United States.

The conversation explores international expansion, startup growth, operational scaling, AI implementation, fundraising, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world. Yousra also shares practical advice for founders looking to scale beyond their home markets and explains why sometimes you have to start before you're ready.

Bio:

Yousra Gaballah is the Founder and CEO of Sprintly Partners, a Silicon Valley-based firm bridging the Middle East and Silicon Valley ecosystems. Through Sprintly, she supports Middle Eastern founders expanding into the U.S. market, as well as U.S. founders and companies looking to unlock opportunities across the Middle East.

Yousra’s work sits at the intersection of growth, market expansion, investor readiness, and ecosystem building. She has led and supported multiple cross-border programs connecting MENA founders with Silicon Valley investors, accelerators, mentors, and corporate partners, working with ecosystem players such as Techstars, Plug and Play, 500 Global, Monsha’at in Saudi Arabia, Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, and other regional partners. Through these programs, she has helped founders access U.S. networks, secure investments, and build stronger expansion and fundraising pathways.

Before founding Sprintly Partners, Yousra spent over a decade working across growth, product, and market expansion roles in the Middle East and the U.S. She contributed to regional expansion and logistics growth initiatives at Amazon across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, and worked on market growth for Careem across North Africa prior and during the acquisition by Uber. She has also supported startups across logistics, e-learning, and content in scaling regionally.

Earlier in her career, Yousra worked on mobile internet growth and customer value management in the telecom sector with Vodafone and Etisalat, where she focused on user growth, engagement, retention, and data-driven commercial strategy.

Yousra also mentors founders across both ecosystems, including through Techstars and Plug and Play in the U.S., and regional programs across the Middle East in KAUST & Monsha'at. She studied Economics and Political Economy at the American University in Cairo, with additional academic experience in the U.S. at UC Berkeley and the University of Washington in Seattle.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousra-gaballah-328a034a/ 

Website:  www.sprintlypartners.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk welcomes Larry Stybel of Stybel Peabody Associates, a serial entrepreneur, psychologist, entrepreneur in residence at a private equity firm, and monthly contributor to Psychology Today. Larry helps companies achieve higher net income and higher perceived institutional trust through C suite coaching, retained board search, and family business succession work.

Larry unpacks what he calls the AI paradox. As AI makes analytical thinking a commodity and products harder to differentiate, it is also fueling a historic rise in mistrust. His argument is that perceived institutional trust, measured yearly against your competitors, becomes the real differentiator, and boards will be focused on it within three to five years even if they are not today. He walks through simple ways to measure it, including the customer loyalty index applied internally with one honest question.

Using the story of Nokia, Blackberry, and Apple, Larry illustrates the leadership blind spot he sees most in 2026. When companies run at 120 miles an hour, peripheral vision disappears, and they miss the side threats and opportunities that decide their future. He makes the case for spending one day a year looking sideways, for hiring leaders high in openness to new ideas, and for treating growth like a researcher testing hypotheses rather than selling a magic bullet. He also shares how AI note taking lets him be more present and empathetic with clients and patients.

Bio:

Larry is a serial entrepreneur, entrepreneur-in-residence at a private equity firm, and a regular monthly contributor to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.  He works with companies interested in achieving a higher level of net income AND a higher level of perceived institutional trust.  Core services revolve around the measurement of perceived institutional trust, C-Suite leadership coaching, and retained search for Board Directors.  Larry has specific expertise in working with family businesses facing complex leadership succession.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstybel 

Website:  www.stybelpeabody.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Chris White, founder of the Clarity Business Academy, serial SaaS entrepreneur, author, and certified storyteller. Chris shares why most businesses don't fail from a lack of ambition or effort but from a lack of true clarity, and he breaks down the three pillars every organization needs: identity clarity, priority clarity, and directional clarity. When those pillars align at the executive level, that clarity can flow through the entire organization and get everyone rowing in the same direction.

Chris also opens up about his personal journey through decades of physical adversity, starting with a drunk driving accident at 18, and what he learned when grit finally hit its ceiling. He explains how grace, humility, and support carried him where willpower could not, and why vulnerability became his real breakthrough as a leader. Along the way he covers building a referral-based practice through old school hustle, why AI is something every founder must embrace with a strategy rather than fear, and how the right systems let one of his clients step away for medical treatment without worry after twelve years of working together.

His parting truth says it all. Clarity isn't a feeling, it's a strategy. Grab his new book, the Clarity Playbook, on Amazon, and connect with Chris on LinkedIn or at ClarityPlaybook.io.

Bio: 

I specialize in helping entrepreneurial business owners and leadership teams break through growth ceilings by providing the clarity, tools, and strategies needed to scale sustainably and confidently. With over 30 years of experience as an 7X entrepreneur, author, and seasoned coach, my mission is clear: to transform overwhelmed and frustrated business owners into empowered, focused, and thriving leaders.

As an original expert EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer and co-founder of successful platforms such as Ninety.io and Profit First App, I've coached over 1,500 business owners, executives, and managers through more than 500 sessions. My clients regularly achieve clarity in their identity, direction, and priorities—essential elements that drive sustained growth, stronger team alignment, and increased profitability.

Recognizing the limitations many companies face after initial success with EOS, I developed the Clarity Business Academy and ClarityOS methodology—next-generation frameworks designed specifically for businesses that have hit growth ceilings and seek deeper, more actionable strategies. My approach integrates proven methods from renowned leadership models and my published works, including "The Clarity Field Guide" and "The Clarity Playbook."

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/coach-chris-white 

Website:   www.clarityplaybook.io 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute Webinar on Visibility and Getting Recommended by AI:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

What happens when 50 years of engineering experience meets today's AI tools?

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Joel Shertok, founder of Process Industries Consultants, to discuss the hidden operational issues that quietly drain profitability and how businesses can solve them without always spending millions on new equipment.

After spending decades helping manufacturers scale production, troubleshoot failing processes, and improve plant efficiency, Joel launched his consulting business following his corporate career. Today he helps companies solve complex manufacturing problems while embracing modern tools like AI to dramatically speed up research, analysis, and decision making.

The conversation explores why operational excellence is often overlooked, how AI is transforming engineering, why traditional marketing has changed for consultants, and what leaders should focus on before chasing the latest technology.

Bio:

I help senior leaders de-risk growth, protect EBITDA, and move lab and plant assets into profitable production faster—so delaying work with you has a clear and escalating cost in lost margin and strategic optionality.​  

When a process problem is costing you margin or delaying commercialization, waiting is usually the most expensive option.

In today’s uncertain environment, many companies are holding off on addressing these issues — even when they are clearly impacting yield, throughput, or time-to-market. That delay creates hidden, ongoing losses. This is where I come in. I don’t operate as a traditional consultant. I step in as part of your technical team, take ownership of the problem, and stay with it until it’s solved. 

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelshertok/

Website:  Process Industries Consultants | | Achieve Growth in your Business 

📞 302-562-9759 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

From Wrong Number to Global Business Growth With Heather Roberts

What happens when a wrong number becomes your biggest business opportunity?

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Heather Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of RSG Sales, to share one of the most unexpected entrepreneurial journeys you'll hear. What started with a misdialed landline call from a Canadian furniture company grew into a global ecommerce consulting firm that helps brands expand into nearly every major online retailer except Amazon.

Heather shares how she went from being a stay at home parent for 12 years to leading an international company and then intentionally designing it so she only works two to three hours each week. She explains how building systems, empowering leaders, and staying relentlessly focused on what works allowed her to step away from day to day operations without sacrificing growth.

The conversation explores why consistency beats constant reinvention, how YouTube became their largest lead generation engine with more than 100 million views, and why most entrepreneurs quit repeating their message long before their audience has heard it enough.

Heather also introduces the principles behind her new book, The Nurture Method, comparing the stages of growing a business to raising children. It's a practical framework that helps founders understand when to nurture, when to delegate, and when to let their business grow beyond them.

If you're building a company that can scale without depending on you every hour of every day, this episode delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately.

Bio*

Heather Roberts is the co-founder of RSG Sales, an e-commerce growth firm helping suppliers around the world grown and scale across major online retailers including Wayfair, Walmart, Best Buy, Lowe's, and Home Depot. With more than two decades of operating experience, she oversees revenue architecture, operational systems, pricing discipline, and scalability — building businesses that grow efficiently without unnecessary complexity.

Her track record speaks for itself. She founded and exited E by Design, scaling it to multi-million-dollar revenue and becoming a Top 5 pillow supplier at Wayfair within three and a half years of launch. She later served as Interim President of Bunny Williams Home, increasing sales 20% and doubling gross margin during a leadership transition.

That real-world operating experience is what grounds her deeper work — and the question she's spent her career trying to answer: How do you build a business that doesn't require you to abandon your life?

That question led her to create The Nurture Method™ and her Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling book of the same name — a framework for building businesses the way women actually build lives: in seasons, alongside family, with constraints, ambition, and evolving identity.

Heather is based in Davidson, North Carolina, and writes Now What, Y'all, a Substack newsletter for accomplished women ready to build what's next — on their own terms.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersroberts/ 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@RSGSALES

Heather’s website: www.heatherroberts.life 

RGS Website:  www.rsgsales.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Burke Franklin, founder of Business Power Tools, for a conversation about what it really takes to turn an idea into a viable business. Burke shares the origin story behind his business planning platform, born from his own frustration with the daunting process of writing plans, and now supercharged with AI that does in seconds what once took weeks of research.

The heart of the conversation lands on a truth most founders miss: you often do not need to raise capital first. Burke walks through his "bootstrap before you beg for money" philosophy with unforgettable examples, including two jet pilots who acquired two Learjets for zero dollars using nothing but a smart business plan and a creative deal structure. He explains why investors bet on the jockey, not just the horse, and why a plan is really a catalog of answers to the questions investors will inevitably ask.

Burke and Heidi also dig into the AI backlash happening right now, why companies that fired their teams are scrambling to hire them back, and why the human behind the business matters more than ever. From the "missionary versus mercenary" balance every founder needs, to keeping yourself in the loop rather than setting AI on autopilot, this episode is packed with hard earned wisdom for anyone thinking about starting, scaling, or selling a business.

Whether you are an inventor holding tight to your baby, a mid journey founder ready to get serious, or someone planning their escape from the nine to five, this conversation will give you clarity on your next move.

Bio:

Burke Franklin created BusinessPowerTools.com, best known for BizPlanBuilder®, the original business planning software that helps smart entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses through an online platform, giving them the confidence to take the right actions to get things done, from starting to bootstrapping, funding, and ultimately selling it.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burkefranklin/ 

Website:  https://www.BusinessPowerTools.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:  https://becomeairecommended.com/grow

Show Notes:

What actually makes a brand work in a new country, and why do so many get it wrong?

On this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk talks with Jan Harling, Founder and CEO of Virtus Asia, about the gap between companies that cross borders well and the ones that stall out the moment they leave home.

Jan has spent close to twenty years running international marketing for Huawei, Oppo, and OnePlus, and he brings that experience to a conversation covering localization, global branding, AI, media strategy, and the reason customer behavior deserves more of your attention than it usually gets.

If international expansion is on your roadmap, or you just want people to notice your brand, there is a lot here worth taking notes on.

Bio:

Originally from Germany, Jan has spent over 20 years in Asia (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Bangkok). He is a seasoned expert in communication and marketing and has had local, regional and global roles in both international 4A agencies as well as on the client side (Global Media Investment Director at Huawei, Global Media Director at OPPO, Regional Director for Brand Media and Performance at foodpanda). He is passionate about insights, creativity, strategy and innovation and specializes in driving measurable business results through strategic campaigns and effective leadership. He successfully developed and implemented holistic data driven campaigns for world leading brands of various industries throughout China, Asia Pacific and Western Europe.

Fluent in English, German, conversational in Mandarin Chinese and equipped with an MBA. As a respected industry expert, Jan is a regular industry panellist and judge for distinguished global, regional and local and marketing awards.

Since 2023 Jan leads Virtus Asia Consulting as the CEO aiming to become the partner, he always wanted to have.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janharling/ 

Website:  www.virtusasia.com 

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

🎁Spotlight to Scale Blueprint:  https://spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint 

🎁Join us for a free 60 Minute webinar: Become the Business People Choose First:   https://becomeairecommended.com/grow