Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Sam Palazzolo, founder of Tip of the Sphere and the Javelin Institute, to unpack what real business growth looks like heading into 2026.

Sam brings decades of experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, consulting at Deloitte, private equity advisory, executive development, and scaling organizations from 25 million to 250 million in revenue. The conversation dives deep into go-to-market strategy, leadership decision making, AI driven growth, and why many companies stall at critical inflection points.

Listeners will learn why most growth challenges are not one size fits all, but often stem from broken sales and marketing systems. Sam explains how his go to market operating system is designed to eliminate spray and pray tactics by creating repeatable market entry points, compressing sales cycles through AI, and building predictable revenue forecasting models.

The episode also explores how leaders can set themselves up for success in the first 100 days in a new role. Sam shares the thinking behind his First 100 Days Play Call Sheet and why waiting too long to take action is one of the most common leadership mistakes.

AI is another major theme throughout the discussion. Sam shares real examples of how AI has allowed his teams to do the work of sixteen people with just two high performers. He also explains why every company needs clear AI policies, internal accountability, and a willingness to test continuously.

The conversation closes with practical advice on referrals, outbound strategy, inbound marketing, and why relying solely on referrals limits growth. Sam also outlines his 2026 plans including 30 day and 90 day scale sprints designed to rapidly accelerate revenue for growth focused organizations.

This episode is a must listen for founders, CEOs, and revenue leaders who want to enter 2026 with clarity, momentum, and a scalable growth system.

Sam's Bio:

Most strategists stop at the whiteboard. I don't.

I'm Sam Palazzolo—and I've been in your seat.

- Led 2 tech startups from $0→$15M→Exit in under 18 months (COO/CRMO)

- Advised a distribution company from $75M→$1B over 13 years

- Run a family office focused on M&A since 2012

- Ex-Deloitte (led billion-dollar retail transformations)

- 8x author ("Leading at the Tip of the Spear" + "50 Scaling Strategies")

Now I serve as Managing Director at Tip of the Spear Ventures and Fractional Chief Strategy Officer to companies scaling from $25M to $500M+.

I don't just advise. I embed. I spend 78% of my time inside high-growth companies driving strategy, execution, and accountability.

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

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

https://tipofthespearventures.com/

https://javelininstitute.org/

🎁 Reach out to Sam to get your Business Growth Spotlight listeners a 30 minute working session that includes his First 100 Days Play Call Sheet, a diagnosis of top revenue blockers, and a 45 day acceleration roadmap designed to compress sales cycles by up to 25 percent.

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with leadership expert and founder of Berkshire Group, Janet Kendall White, for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to build strong leaders, resilient teams, and sustainable businesses.

Janet shares her journey from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship at a young age, including the mindset shifts required to fully commit to building a business without a back door. With more than 30 years of experience developing leaders across industries, she explains why leadership success always starts with intentionality, emotional intelligence, and communication.

The conversation explores how leadership has fundamentally changed over the past three decades, especially in the wake of COVID, remote work, and ongoing global uncertainty. Janet discusses why many leaders fail when they are promoted based solely on technical skills and how organizations can better support new leaders instead of setting them up for burnout or failure.

Janet also walks through her proprietary leadership development process, including assessments, emotional intelligence mindsets, meeting effectiveness, problem solving, and creating cultures where productive conflict and innovation can thrive. Heidi and Janet dive into the realities of balancing leadership, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and redefining success in different seasons of life.

They also discuss founder-led marketing, the power of referrals when done intentionally, and how Janet rebuilt her visibility after COVID through LinkedIn, speaking, and relationship driven outreach.

The episode concludes with a discussion of Janet’s new book, Unshakable Leadership, and what the next chapter looks like for Berkshire Group, along with a candid reflection on what can hold even the most experienced leaders back.

This episode is a must listen for founders, CEOs, and leaders who want to build stronger cultures, lead with confidence, and create lasting impact.

Bio:

Janet Kendall White is the founder and CEO of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE and WOSB certified, award-winning organization with a three-decade track record of transforming leaders, teams, cultures, and businesses. She is the author of Unshakeable Leadership: A Map for Unlocking Strength, Strategy, and Success and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fortune, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

A sought-after speaker and facilitator locally, nationally, and internationally, Janet helps leaders unlock their potential, enhance emotional intelligence, and create lasting impact. She is a Past President of NAWBO Northeast Ohio, serves on the Board of Directors of the NAWBO National, the Board of Stark State College Foundation, and the Board of Cuyahoga Valley Association of Talent Development.

In her spare time you will find Janet volunteering as a Trailblazer for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, coordinating the scholarship fund for Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 2 or hiking and cycling. 

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

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

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/berkshiregroup

Instagram:  @janetkwhite

Website:  https://berkshiregroupinc.com

Grab her Book:  Amazon.com: Unshakable Leadership: A Map For Unlocking Strength, Strategy, And Success eBook : Kendall White, Janet: Kindle Store

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Victor Penev, founder and CEO of Edamam, to explore the powerful intersection of food, data, AI, and longevity.

Victor shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience and explains how Edamam was built at the crossroads of two passions: nutrition and technology. The conversation dives deep into how structured food and nutrition data powers some of the world’s most recognizable platforms including Amazon Alexa, Food Network, Noom, Microsoft, Nestlé, and The New York Times Cooking.

Together, Heidi and Victor unpack Edamam’s bold mission to help people live to 120 years without chronic illness by treating food as medicine. Victor explains why knowledge and accurate data are essential for better food choices and how AI is transforming that knowledge into intuitive, real time, personalized recommendations through what he calls a personal virtual nutritionist.

The episode also explores how Edamam approaches growth with minimal traditional marketing, relying instead on partnerships, attribution, referrals, and long term thinking. Victor shares candid insights on selling into large enterprises, why persistence beats hype, and how staying focused on mission creates staying power in competitive markets.

Victor closes with leadership lessons from mentoring over 200 companies, emphasizing passion, patience, and leading from behind as the keys to building purpose driven businesses that last.

This episode is a must listen for founders, health tech leaders, and anyone curious about how AI, nutrition, and data are shaping the future of healthcare and longevity.

Bio:

Victor Penev is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Edamam. He is also a mentor and investor in food technology startups and advises early stage entrepreneurs. 

Previous to Edamam, Victor co-founded and sold Bulgaria’s largest Internet Company, NetInfo BG. Victor Penev also ran the international digital business of Playboy Enterprises, and was instrumental in starting the digital marketing efforts of BMG and in creating key e-commerce capability for Bertelsmann’s book clubs. 

Victor holds a MBA from Stanford.

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/edamam/

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

Website:  https://www.edamam.com/

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight host Heidi Schalk cofounder of HLH Growth Solutions sits down with Elvan Baker VP of Client Experience and Clinical Strategy at Rubato Life. Elvan shares her journey from hands-on speech therapy into executive leadership within a fast growing health tech startup and offers an honest look at leadership growth, burnout, resilience and innovation in healthcare.

The conversation explores how Rubato Life is transforming dementia care through a music based non pharmacological intervention designed to reduce stress agitation and behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s related diagnoses. Elvan explains how evidence based research transparency and clinician trust are central to scaling healthcare innovation successfully.

Listeners will gain insight into leadership as a woman immigrant in healthcare, the importance of internal company culture, the realities of startup growth and how clarity, transparency and alignment drive long term success. Elvan also shares deeply personal advice for women navigating career pivots burnout and ambition while balancing life priorities.

This episode is a must listen for healthcare leaders, founders clinicians and growth stage executives looking to scale with integrity, innovation and purpose.

Bio:  

Personal- born in San Jose, CA, fully grew up in Turkey, moved to US for college, stayed for grad school, married to a fellow therapist with a 2 year old daughter, live on an inland lake in Northern Michigan after having lived in CA, MT, CO 

Professional- my linkedin bio is super accurate for reference, clinician to corporate management ladder, pivoted out of bedside clinical work, to corporate compliance/clinical roles and now I am a part of the Team 1 management team for a health tech startup  as a VP of Client Experience and Clinical Strategies

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvan-baker-ms-ccc-slp-cbis-466a3568/

https://www.rubato.life/

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Carlos Elizondo, founder of Elizondo Medical Group, to explore what it really takes to build and scale a private medical practice while staying deeply rooted in patient care.

Dr. Carlos shares his journey from growing up in a family of physicians to expanding a solo practice into three thriving clinic locations serving underserved communities across Texas. He opens up about the realities physicians face when they step into entrepreneurship, including financial pressure, billing complexity, staffing challenges, and the emotional toll of burnout.

This conversation goes beyond medicine and into leadership, mindset, and systems. Dr. Carlos explains how acknowledging burnout became a turning point in his life and business, why emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill for physicians, and how coaching helped him transition from doing everything himself to building scalable systems that support people, not just profits.

You will hear why primary care is at the heart of healthcare, how nurse practitioners and physician assistants are shaping the future of medicine, and why consistency, training, and culture are essential for scaling without losing quality.

Dr. Carlos also shares what is working for visibility and patient education through video content and podcast guesting, why giving away knowledge creates greater impact, and how his long term vision includes expanding access to care through systemized clinics and well trained teams.

This episode is a must listen for physicians, healthcare leaders, and founders navigating growth, burnout, and the challenge of balancing purpose with profitability.

Bio

Dr. Carlos Rafael Elizondo is a family physician, entrepreneur, and leadership-driven changemaker redefining how primary care is delivered in America. After experiencing burnout early in his career, he transformed his life and practice around a simple principle: true healing begins with balance, purpose, and growth.

Today, Dr. Elizondo blends medicine, mindfulness, and business strategy to inspire others to lead from the inside out. His journey, from running a small-town clinic to building a thriving, people-centered healthcare organization, reflects his belief that systems and culture, not just medicine, create lasting wellness. Whether mentoring young leaders, building scalable models of care, or speaking about transformation and leadership, Dr. Elizondo’s mission is to help others grow without losing themselves in the process.

Beyond medicine and leadership, Dr. Elizondo is a devoted husband of 25 years, a proud father of three sons—ages 24, 20, and 3—and a joyful grandfather to a 2-year-old granddaughter who reminds him daily of what matters most: family, love, and legacy.

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

Facebook:   https://m.facebook.com/carlos.elizondo.353/

Instagram:  @celizondo4488

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarloselizondo?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Website:  elizondomedicalgroup.com

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Daniel Story, founder of HomeJoy of Kalamazoo, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a care based business without sacrificing quality, trust, or humanity.

Daniel shares how his 30 year career as a registered nurse shaped the way he built Homejoy and why caring has always come before systems, safety checklists, or scale. From starting the business with fifty dollars and a PO box to leading more than one hundred employees across multiple locations, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the operational realities of home care and service based businesses.

You will hear how Daniel navigated economic downturns, near business failure, and capacity challenges by leaning into mentorship, systems, and core values. He explains why communication breakdowns are the most expensive mistakes businesses make, how technology and automation support growth, and why culture is the only way to scale people-led organizations.

Daniel also shares what has not worked, including referral middlemen and misaligned marketing spend, and why deep community relationships continue to be Homejoy’s strongest growth driver.

The conversation closes with a look at what is next for Homejoy, including the expansion into professional housekeeping services and Daniel’s upcoming book on compassion, conflict, and leadership in healthcare.

This episode is a must listen for founders, operators, and service based business owners who are growing fast and want to do it the right way.

Bio: 

Daniel Story has been the CEO of HomeJoy of Kalamazoo for over 20 years. HomeJoy has bought out two competitors, received Best of Care awards for employment and for client care, it has been on the Inc 5000 list, a Michigan 50 company to watch list, and has had other local awards. Outside of running HomeJoy Daniel has been the owner of a Property Management company and has established and later sold an assisted living and a non-profit organization serving the needs of persons with dementia. He is currently writing a book which is aimed at helping the healthcare industry deal with difficult behaviors which our patients often demonstrate during their engagement with our services.

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-story-362a921a/

Website:  HomeJoy.care

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, Heidi Schalk sits down with Toby from 3Helix to explore how biotech startups move from breakthrough science to real world commercialization. Toby shares his journey as an MD MBA leader navigating venture capital, startup strategy, and regulatory complexity while helping 3Helix pioneer extracellular matrix based therapies that target disease by changing the cellular environment.

This conversation dives deep into startup strategy, physician leadership, go to market execution, and why credibility matters more than trying to do everything at once. It is a masterclass in how innovation, discipline, and strategic focus drive sustainable growth in highly regulated industries.

Bio:

Toby is a Physician, Investor, and Entrepreneur specializing in healthcare who works closely with early-stage teams leveraging broad networks and experience to help them minimize risk and maximize value. Toby brings a perspective drawn from his experience as a provider but also from his work with payers, investors, and Innovators. He was a member of Centene’s international division where he researched and implemented value based care initiatives in the Middle East, South America, the UK, and Southeast Asia, served in roles like Vice President of Business Development, Chief, Medical Officer, and Chief Operations Officer at start-ups across digital health, biotech, med device, gene therapy, and health tech, and has investing experience across angel, Venture, and private equity. He currently sits on the physician advisory boards of several Venture funds in the Chicago area in addition to being a founding partner at Syndicate Health Healthcare Operations Consulting. Toby holds an MD from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg school of management.

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

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-barrack-md-mba-5a1478104

Website:  3Helix.com

Email:  [email protected]

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. John Oberg, founder of John Oberg Advisory, to explore what truly drives sustainable organizational growth. With decades of experience as a CEO, advisor, and healthcare innovator, Dr. Oberg shares powerful insights on the intersection of people, performance, and leadership.

The conversation dives deep into why responsibility and accountability are only the starting point for healthy professional relationships and how radical acceptance, trust, vulnerability, and empathy create the foundation for high performing teams. Dr. Oberg also challenges common misconceptions around authenticity and transparency in leadership, explaining why context and emotional maturity matter more than oversharing.

Listeners will gain practical guidance on first line management, uncover common executive blind spots, and learn how to apply the right tools for coaching, accountability, and growth. The episode also explores scaling strategies, referral driven growth, and how leaders should think about AI as a lever for personalization rather than a shortcut.

Dr. Oberg closes by sharing his vision for the future of advisory work, healthcare innovation, and why empathy may be the most undervalued leadership skill in business today.

Bio:

John Oberg is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, Professor, and Investor trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded Precina Health with Dr. Dustyn Williams and have developed the key to solving Type 2 Diabetes. 

Previously, John founded another Austin-based healthcare innovator, Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization (#193 on Inc 500). John serves on the board of directors of OnlineMedEd (which writes curricula for Medical and Physician’s Assistant schools globally) and Health Admins (Healthcare Business Process Outsourcing). Through John Oberg Advisory, John advises large institutions, healthcare industry leaders, professional services firms, and nonprofits. John received his doctorate from the University of Southern California (Social Work) and his MBA from the University of New Mexico (Policy & Planning and Management of Technology). He is currently an adjunct professor at USC. He has authored patents, started companies, and managed teams larger than 1,000 people. Over the last three decades, he has studied the behavior of individuals, communities, and systems. 

John was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He currently lives with his family in Austin, where he engages in many outdoor activities. When traveling, he also enjoys SCUBA diving and golf and has recently taken to hunting and fishing. He holds a second-degree black belt in orthodox karate.

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

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

Website:  http://johnoberg.com/

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk, Co-Founder of HLH Growth Solutions, welcomes Alex Brueckmann, Founder of Brueckmann Strategy Consultants, for a deep conversation on what strategy truly is and why so many organizations struggle to turn it into results. Alex draws from his experience building multiple international consulting firms to explain why strategy is often misunderstood and confused with planning or budgeting, and how that confusion creates execution breakdowns at the leadership level.

Throughout the conversation, Alex introduces his Nine Elements of Organizational Identity framework and explains how strategy must be anchored in a company’s identity to be effective. He shares why culture, strategy, and execution cannot be treated as separate initiatives, and how leadership clarity directly impacts an organization’s ability to make decisions, align teams, and follow through. The discussion also addresses common leadership gaps that derail strategy implementation, including a lack of shared language, unclear priorities, and misaligned incentives.

The episode also explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in business. Alex explains why AI is not a strategy in itself and cautions leaders against chasing technology trends without a clear strategic purpose. Instead, he outlines how AI can be used responsibly as a tool to support and accelerate strategy execution without replacing human judgment or decision-making.

In addition to strategy and leadership, Alex shares how he has grown his consulting business by focusing on education-driven marketing through podcast guesting and LinkedIn thought leadership rather than relying on ads or outbound outreach. He reflects on how clarity, consistency, and long-term thinking have shaped his growth, along with the personal values that guide his decisions as a founder and parent.

Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding that strategy is fundamentally about making choices, not assembling project lists, and that culture is the result of leadership behavior rather than a standalone initiative. The episode reinforces that execution breaks down when strategy is unclear or poorly communicated, and that sustainable growth requires focus, alignment, and sufficient runway to experiment and evolve.

Bio:

Alex Brueckmann is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Strategy Legacy, which introduces the Nine Elements of Organizational Identity (9EOI), and creator of the 9EOI strategy certification for leaders. Brueckmann is a strategy master facilitator, executive coach for leadership teams, and keynote speaker. 

He has impacted thousands of business leaders across the world, from multinationals to start-ups. He holds degrees and certificates in management, leadership, and strategy from EBS European Business School (Germany), INSEAD (France), and Harvard Business School (USA). 

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

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

Website:  https://brueckmann.ca/

https://9eoi.com

Connect with me:

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

Show Notes:

In this episode of Business Growth Spotlight, host Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Darren Klugman, physician leader and executive at CalmWave, to explore how AI is transforming patient safety and hospital operations in the ICU. Drawing from nearly two decades in pediatric cardiac critical care, Darren shares firsthand insight into one of healthcare’s most persistent and dangerous challenges: alarm fatigue.

The conversation dives deep into why ICU noise is not just an annoyance, but a serious patient safety risk, how imprecise monitoring erodes clinician trust in alarms, and how CalmWave’s AI-driven platform is reducing non-actionable alarms by up to 58 percent. Darren also explains why physician leadership is critical in health tech startups, what non-clinical founders often miss, and how real innovation in healthcare must be results-driven, not hype-driven.

This episode is a must-listen for healthcare leaders, health tech founders, hospital executives, and anyone interested in how AI can meaningfully improve patient outcomes while reducing clinician burnout.

Bio:

Darren Klugman, MD has two decades of clinical and hospital leadership and is driven by passion for elevating patient outcomes through strategic thinking, data analytics, and a team-first approach. His background in pediatric cardiac intensive care has shown that real progress happens when teams rally around a common goal, and he believes in building a culture where people, processes, and data blend together to develop solutions and deliver unparalleled results.

Darren is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at CalmWave, a unique AI platform fusing siloed hospital data to improve patient safety and operations in the ICU.  He is also a sought out advisor and consultant to a number of early phase start ups and drug development companies.

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

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/darrenklugmanmd

Website:  https://calmwave.ai/

Connect with me:

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