CEO Growth Talks

Some founders build one company. Ryan Hogan has built several, survived a bankruptcy, and scaled a true-crime subscription box to $55 million before deciding recruiting needed the same kind of disruption.

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, Pete Hayes sits down with Ryan Hogan, Founder and CEO of Talent Harbor. Ryan shares how a 25-year Navy career and a run of entrepreneurial wins and losses shaped the way he builds teams, why his company had grown fast but skipped the foundational strategy work most businesses need, and how bringing in Chief Outsiders' fractional executives gave him not just an expert, but a peer group stress-testing his strategy in real time.

Don't miss the story behind a founder who calls fractional executives his cheat code.

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes talks with Alicia Suessmith, President of Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations, an IT asset disposition company that has grown alongside the data center and AI infrastructure boom.

Calling on Alicia's background in HR and people leadership, she recognized when Dynamic had reached a critical inflection point: when strong reputation and solid service alone couldn't open the doors they wanted to open. She walks through how Dynamic evaluated their marketing gaps, brought in a fractional CMO through Chief Outsiders, and built a more disciplined go-to-market approach without overextending their budget or resources.

For CEOs navigating similar growing pains, the conversation offers an honest look at what it takes to professionalize a marketing function from the inside out.

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes sits down with Ben Bertram, Owner of Fiberglass Solutions, to explore his bold leap into business ownership—without a safety net.

Ben shares how he and his wife acquired a gritty, industrial business and scaled it rapidly through operational excellence, customer responsiveness, and eventually, strategic marketing support from Chief Outsiders.

From building cheese brine tanks to overcoming a growth plateau, this is a candid look at entrepreneurial grit, risk-taking, and building the foundation for scalable success.

Mike Clarke, CEO of Hanto + Clarke General Contractors, LLC, turned a family startup into a fast-growing enterprise by combining EOS discipline with data-driven, fractional marketing expertise.

Join us for our next CEO Growth Talks episode where Mike joins host Pete Hayes to unpack the strategy behind his company's explosive scaling journey.

In this crucial episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes sits down with Loretta Stagnitto, founder of Stagnitto Leadership Associates, to discuss the critical importance of intentionally developing your organization's next layer of leaders. They explore why the "how" of leadership—not just the "what"—is the key skill gap and how a targeted coaching methodology can transform your management team.

What You'll Learn:

✅ The Mid-Level Burnout: Why the intermediary layer between the C-suite and individual contributors is the most common place for failure and burnout.

✅ The "How" is the Gap: The danger of promoting great engineers or managers without training them in the soft skills necessary for senior leadership (e.g., managing stakeholders, giving feedback, and delegation).

✅ The I Know System (Assess, Act, Achieve): Loretta's proven methodology for building self-awareness, identifying blind spots, and creating an intentional plan for development.

✅ The Power of Systemic Coaching: How to improve organizational effectiveness by helping peers and cross-functional teams communicate better and manage their collective capacity.

✅ Avoiding the Wait-and-See Trap: Why many leaders wait too long before investing in coaching, often missing the opportunity to course-correct before a talented individual fails.

This conversation provides actionable insights for any CEO or C-Suite executive looking to build a strong succession plan and a resilient organization that can move fast by leading better.

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, we sit down with Nate Olds, CEO of StormTrap LLC, a national leader in controlling stormwater runoff. Nate shares the strategic journey of scaling his business, how a consultative sales model ensures engineering excellence, and the pivotal role of leveraging fractional executive expertise to unlock a new, high-growth market segment. For CEOs looking to scale a specialized B2B business and execute smart market diversification, this is a must-watch conversation.

What You'll Learn:

✅ The Power of Partnership: How Storm Trap doubled its national network to 40+ precast partners in less than five years, strategically placing manufacturing within 100 miles of any municipality for efficient expansion.

✅ Consultative Sales in Engineering: Nate details their approach to educating engineers and clients, focusing on long-term value, durability, and cost-effective design for critical stormwater management systems.

✅ Strategic Market Diversification: The evaluation process and decision to partner with Chief Outsiders to enter a new market without cannibalizing existing sales channels, resulting in clear ROI in under a month.

✅ The CEO’s Accountability: Leadership advice on the importance of transparency, empowering your team, and knowing when to admit you need external, specialized expertise to accelerate growth initiatives.

In this episode of CEO Growth Talks, host Pete Hayes speaks with Ed Trevis, President, CEO, and Co-founder of Corvalent Corporation. Ed shares the remarkable 32-year journey of his company from its Silicon Valley roots to becoming a key player in Texas’ growing tech and manufacturing ecosystem. Driven by a culture of consistency, Ed built Corvalent to deliver rugged, industrial-grade computing systems designed for long-term reliability and mission-critical environments.

As the company evolved, Ed embraced innovation through IoT and AI, developing full turnkey solutions for monitoring, tracking, and control across smart cities, energy, and defense sectors. His commitment to long-life production cycles not only enhances data integrity but also supports sectors that demand long-term system stability. Now, as a member of the Texas Spaceport Commission, Ed is helping shape the future of space tech and economic development in Central Texas.

Join us for our next episode of CEO Growth Talks, where host Pete Hayes talks with Warb Lee, Founder and CEO of Alen Corp, the U.S.-based leader in intelligent air purification. Warb shares how a 20-year commitment to health, innovation, and operational excellence positioned Alen to meet the challenges of COVID-era demand — from outfitting over 100,000 classrooms to mastering end-to-end supply chain efficiency.

Whether you're scaling a startup or steering an enterprise, Warb’s practical wisdom on aligning mission, product, and leadership will resonate with CEOs across industries. 

Join us on our next CEO Growth Talks with our guest David Bull, CEO of Ark Financial, for a powerful discussion designed for CEOs and entrepreneurs navigating today's complex business landscape. Discover why many leaders remain trapped in "escaping the past" rather than building toward purpose, and learn the critical three-step framework for moving from survival-mode to purpose-driven leadership. This session goes beyond typical leadership advice to address the deeper challenges CEOs face: finding meaning beyond success and creating true alignment with those around you. You'll gain innovative approaches to leverage emerging technologies like AI to scale your leadership impact without sacrificing quality. Whether you're a seasoned CEO or a growing entrepreneur, this webinar offers actionable insights to transform your approach and create a leadership legacy that transcends financial success.

Join host Pete Hayes as he interviews Scott Wozniak, CEO of Swoz Consulting, on the secrets to building legendary customer loyalty. Scott shares the proven strategies behind Chick-fil-A’s devoted fan base and how B2B companies can apply the same principles to turn customers into passionate advocates. Learn how to create a customer experience so remarkable that it sets you apart from the competition—and keeps clients coming back. Plus, discover how AI can enhance, not replace, the human touch in customer interactions, making your brand even more unforgettable. If you’re not intentionally designing your customer journey, you’re leaving loyalty to chance. Start building a brand that people love.