CEOs Unscripted

By Jane GentryBusiness Entrepreneurship Management

CEOs Unscripted episodes

November 26, 2025 How This CEO Built a $160M Firm While Staying 100% Independent | Thomas Grealish
In this powerful episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Thomas Grealish, leader of Henderson Brothers, one of Pittsburgh's most respected independent insurance and financial services firms with over 160 employees.
What You'll Learn:
🔹 Culture as Competitive Advantage - How Henderson Brothers protects their independence and uses culture to naturally "weed out" bad fits while attracting top talent
🔹 The Stay Interview Strategy - Why Thomas asks employees two critical questions about leaving (before they ever consider it) and how this prevents turnover
🔹 Hiring Without Mistakes - The "messy but effective" referral-based hiring process that prioritizes cultural fit over impressive resumes
🔹 The Two-Minute Drill - Thomas's crisis preparation exercise that helped his team navigate the 2008 financial crisis, tech bubble, and COVID without panic
🔹 Financial Transparency That Works - How sharing P&L statements weekly creates ownership mentality across the entire organization
🔹 Strategic Growth Done Right - Expanding to Columbus, Ohio organically while maintaining culture remotely
🔹 Community Giving as Leadership Development - Why Thomas encourages 30-year-olds to join nonprofit boards and how Henderson Brothers supports employee philanthropy
🔹 Family Business Survival - Navigating 40+ years in a family business with his brother while maintaining alignment on vision and values
Key Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction & Pittsburgh Culture
04:32 - Culture as Everything: Independence & Heroic Service
09:15 - The Stay Interview: Two Questions Every CEO Should Ask
14:20 - Hiring Process: Slow, Careful & Referral-Based
18:45 - The Two-Minute Crisis Drill That Prepares Teams
23:10 - Financial Transparency & Weekly P&L Sharing
28:30 - Operationalizing Culture as You Scale
33:15 - Community Philanthropy & Developing Young Leaders
38:40 - The Mario Lemieux Foundation Story
42:20 - Strategic Expansion to Columbus, Ohio
46:15 - Family Business: Alignment & Good Intent
51:30 - Rapid Fire: Books, Career Advice & Getting Unstuck
About Thomas Grealish: Thomas has led Henderson Brothers for decades, growing it into a major regional insurance and financial services firm while maintaining private ownership and a culture-first approach. He serves on multiple nonprofit boards including the Mario Lemieux Foundation and is a Duquesne University graduate deeply committed to the Pittsburgh community.
About CEOs Unscripted: CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs. Host Jane Gentry, a veteran consultant and former mid-market CEO herself, delivers unfiltered conversations with founders and executives navigating the unique challenges of leading $10M-$500M companies. No fluff, no jargon—just real talk that drives real growth.
Subscribe for More Leadership Insights: New episodes drop bi-weekly featuring candid conversations with CEOs who've scaled businesses, navigated crises, and built lasting organizations.
Tags: CEO leadership, company culture, mid-market business, family business, hiring strategy, organizational development, business growth, Pittsburgh business, insurance industry, leadership podcast, executive coaching, crisis management, corporate culture, talent retention, strategic planning, employee engagement, business scaling, CEO interview, entrepreneurship, business strategy, workplace culture, leadership development, talent management, business expansion, independent business, private company, heroic service, stay interviews, financial transparency, nonprofit leadership, community impact, succession planning, organizational culture, CEO advice, business podcast, executive leadership, team building, business management, regional growth, family business leadership
Related Topics: #CEOLeadership #CompanyCulture #MidMarketBusiness #FamilyBusiness #HiringStrategy #OrganizationalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #PittsburghBusiness #InsuranceIndustry #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #CrisisManagement #CorporateCulture #TalentRetention #StrategicPlanning #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessScaling #Entrepreneurship #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment
Listen now and discover how one CEO built a $160M+ firm without sacrificing culture, independence, or community impact.

59 min
November 11, 2025How to Fix Your Hiring Process: CEO Reveals Why You're Losing Top Talent | Executive Search Expert
Struggling to find and retain top talent? You're not alone. In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, I sit down with Brandt Handley from ROI Executive Search to uncover why most mid-market companies are getting hiring ALL WRONG.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Why the traditional interview process is fundamentally broken
✅ Cultural fit vs qualifications: What ACTUALLY matters in hiring
✅ The true cost of a bad hire (3-4x annual salary!)
✅ How to create an effective onboarding process that retains talent
✅ Why hiring "mini-me's" destroys innovation and growth
✅ The power of psychographic assessments in talent acquisition
✅ When CEOs should step back from day-to-day operations

Book Mentioned:
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
Featured Expert: Brandt Hanley brings 21+ years of executive search experience, previously working with Procter & Gamble and Walt Disney Company across international markets.
Perfect for:
Mid-market CEOs and founders
HR professionals and talent acquisition teams
Business leaders struggling with employee retention
Companies experiencing rapid growth
Anyone responsible for building high-performing teams
💡 The biggest takeaway? Stop hiring for tenure and start hiring for cultural fit and giftedness. In today's market where average tenure is just 4 years, the old rules no longer apply.

KEY TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction & Welcome to CEOs Unscripted
02:30 - Brandt's Background: From P&G to Disney to Executive Search 08:45 - Why Mid-Market CEOs Struggle with Talent Acquisition
12:20 - The Broken Interview Process
15:40 - Cultural Fit vs Qualifications: What Really Matters
19:15 - The Age Discrimination Problem in Hiring
23:50 - Finding Your True Gifts vs Following Passion
27:30 - The Power of Psychographic Assessments
31:45 - The Cost of Impatience in Hiring (3-4x Salary!)
36:20 - Understanding Your Company Culture Before Hiring
40:15 - The MBA Myth: Why Degrees Don't Guarantee Success
43:50 - Hiring for Different Stages of Company Growth
47:25 - The "Mini-Me" Mistake: Why Diversity Matters
52:10 - The Importance of Professional Reference Checks
55:40 - Onboarding: The Missing Link in Talent Retention
58:30 - The Inverted Pyramid Leadership Model
61:45 - Rapid Fire Questions & Final Wisdom
🔔 Subscribe to CEOs Unscripted for bi-weekly conversations with real CEOs sharing unfiltered insights on leadership, growth, and scaling mid-market companies.
1 hr 4 min
October 29, 2025 The Hidden Crisis Behind Your 5G: A CEO's Mission to Save the Telecom Workforce
In this compelling episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Letizia Latino, CEO of Neptune USA, to explore the unique challenges of leading in the telecommunications infrastructure industry. From managing the boom-and-bust cycles of wireless construction to championing workforce development through apprenticeships, Letizia shares her unfiltered insights on modern business leadership.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Industry Challenges & Innovation:
- The "all-you-can-eat buffet or starvation" reality of the telecom industry
- How AI and drone technology are revolutionizing tower inspection and engineering
- Navigating tariff impacts and supply chain complexities in steel manufacturing
- The critical infrastructure behind your cell phone connectivity
✅ Workforce Development & Talent:
- Why apprenticeship programs are the future of skilled labor
- The untapped potential of hiring military veterans in technical roles
- How to retain skilled workers during industry downturns
- Breaking the stigma around trade jobs vs. four-year degrees
✅ Leadership Lessons:
- Overcoming "we've always done it this way" resistance to change
- Managing change initiatives effectively through transition periods
- The importance of staying curious and aligned with your values
- Balancing family business legacy with personal identity
✅ Change Management Insights:
- Why most growth initiatives fail (hint: it's not the strategy)
- The critical role of middle managers in executing change
- Using AI to predict resistance to organizational change
- Communication strategies that actually work
✅ Featured Topics & Keywords:
Telecommunications CEO | Women in Leadership | Wireless Infrastructure | Tower Construction | Change Management | Workforce Development | Apprenticeship Programs | Veterans Employment | AI in Business | Drone Technology | Digital Twin Technology | Supply Chain Management | Tariff Impact | Business Strategy | Family Business | CEO Challenges | Trade Jobs | Skills Gap | Construction Industry | 5G Infrastructure | Telecom Innovation | Leadership Development
Guest Bio:
Letizia Latino is the CEO of Neptune USA, a telecommunications infrastructure company specializing in steel tower manufacturing and engineering services. Born in Venezuela to Italian immigrant parents, Letizia brings an international perspective to business leadership. Before joining the family business, she gained experience at Merrill Lynch and Nortel Networks. She's passionate about workforce development, serves on several FCC committees, and hosts the podcast "Back to Basics: Reconnecting to the Essence of You."
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction & Letizia's International Background
05:30 The Path from Corporate to Family Business
12:15 The "Buffet or Starvation" Challenge in Telecom
18:45 Innovation Through AI & Drone Technology
25:20 Change Management & Status Quo Resistance
32:10 Tariff Impacts & Manufacturing Challenges
38:00 Apprenticeship Programs & Trade Education
45:30 Hiring Veterans in Technical Roles
52:00 Rapid Fire Questions
58:30 Final Thoughts & Future Goals
About CEOs Unscripted:
CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs, hosted by Jane Gentry. Each episode delivers unfiltered, behind-the-scenes conversations about the wins, losses, and real-world strategies of leading and scaling businesses in today's dynamic landscape.
Subscribe for more conversations with CEOs who are changing the game.
SEO Tags:
#CEOPodcast #BusinessLeadership #TelecommunicationsIndustry #ChangeManagement #WorkforceDevelopment #WomenInBusiness #ApprenticeshipPrograms #VeteransEmployment #AIInBusiness #DroneInnovation #ConstructionIndustry #CEOInterview #LeadershipPodcast #BusinessStrategy #FamilyBusiness #TowerConstruction #WirelessInfrastructure #TradeJobs #SkillsGap #BusinessInnovation
Category: Business | Entrepreneurship | Leadership | Technology | Telecommunications
50 min
October 16, 2025 The $50M Exit Blueprint: How a Blue-Collar Kid Built & Sold an International Business
What happens when a blue-collar kid from South Jersey transforms into a business-scaling expert? In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with her longtime mentor and business partner Pat Alacqua to uncover the raw truth about entrepreneurial growth, leadership transformation, and the psychological barriers that keep founders stuck.

Pat shares his remarkable journey from working at his grandfather's grocery store to co-founding and scaling a trade show services company (The Nth Degree) into an international operation before successfully exiting in 2001. But this isn't just a success story—it's a masterclass in the messy, challenging reality of business growth.

What You'll Learn:

- The critical psychological shift from "doer" to leader and why most entrepreneurs struggle with it
- How to manage your business by assumptions instead of budgets or checklists
- The five distinct phases every company must navigate from startup to enterprise
- Why spawning competitor companies from your best employees isn't always bad
- The importance of having "one foot in the present and one foot in the future"
- Practical strategies for identifying and addressing blind spots in your leadership.

Key Insights:

✓ The three psychological barriers preventing delegation: identity, control, and validation
✓ Why "what got you here won't get you there" applies to every growth stage
✓ How to earn the right to keep things simple by first understanding complexity
✓ The power of assumption-based planning in uncertain markets
✓ Why asking the right questions matters more than having all the answers

Whether you're a mid-market CEO navigating growth challenges, an entrepreneur struggling to scale, or a business leader looking to avoid common pitfalls, this conversation delivers actionable frameworks you can implement immediately.

Book: Obstacles to Opportunity: Transforming Business Challenges into Triumphs https://tinyurl.com/5fr8fhy2

About the Guest: Pat Alacqua is a business growth strategist with over 40 years of experience building, scaling, and exiting companies. After co-founding and growing a trade show services company from startup to international operation, Pat now partners with CEOs to help them navigate the complex transitions from entrepreneur to enterprise leader.

About the Host: Jane Gentry brings 20+ years of enterprise consulting experience and firsthand CEO leadership to CEOs Unscripted, creating a space where mid-market leaders share unfiltered stories, practical playbooks, and hard-won wisdom.

🔔 Subscribe to CEOs Unscripted for bi-weekly conversations with founders and executives who've navigated the challenges you're facing.

💬 Join the Conversation: What's your biggest challenge in transitioning from doer to leader? Share in the comments below.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction: Meet Pat Alacqua
03:15 - Growing up in small business: Early influences and work ethic
07:42 - From concrete business to trade shows: The entrepreneurial journey 12:30 - Navigating union labor and legal battles while scaling
16:45 - Building systems and the art of working ON vs. IN your business 21:20 - The painful reality of becoming the bottleneck in your own business 25:10 - Three psychological barriers to delegation: Identity, control, and validation
30:15 - Understanding business life cycles and the entrepreneur-to-enterprise journey
35:40 - The five phases of business growth every CEO must master
40:25 - Managing by assumptions vs. managing by budgets
45:30 - Solving root cause problems instead of applying band-aids
48:50 - Modeling leadership behavior and developing your team
52:15 - The importance of blind spots and continuous learning
56:40 - Earning the right to keep things simple
01:00:20 - The science and art of building effective systems
01:03:45 - Rapid fire questions: Books, early lessons, and advice for young professionals
01:08:30 - What to do when you get stuck as a leader
01:11:15 - Closing thoughts and key takeaways

Tags #CEOsUnscripted #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #ScalingBusiness #MidMarketCEO #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipTransformation #BusinessSystems #CEOPodcast #BusinessPodcast #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessScaling #DelegationSkills #BusinessProcesses #StrategicLeadership #CompanyGrowth #BusinessMentor #EntrepreneurialGrowth #LeadershipMindset #BusinessLifeCycle #BusinessExit #SmallBusinessGrowth #MidMarketLeaders

CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs for mid-market CEOs, delivering unfiltered conversations about what it takes to lead, grow, and scale in today's business landscape.
55 min
October 01, 2025AI Strategy for Mid-Market CEOs: How to Start, Scale & Succeed Without Getting Left Behind | Chris Happ
Is AI overwhelming your mid-market business? You're not alone. In this unfiltered episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Chris Happ, CEO of Virtuous AI and serial entrepreneur, to break down exactly how mid-market CEOs should approach AI strategy—without the tech jargon or corporate bureaucracy.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Why AI is a STRATEGIC initiative, not an IT project
✅ How to identify the right business problem to solve with AI first
✅ The MIT study revealing why 95% of Fortune 500 AI pilots fail
✅ Why mid-market companies have a competitive advantage over enterprise
✅ How to manage AI as a change initiative (and avoid employee resistance)
✅ Real case studies: inventory optimization, workflow automation, and BI transformation
✅ The critical mistake of "bolting on" AI tools that create more silos
✅ How to protect your competitive advantage and proprietary data
✅ Why you should never wait to start experimenting with AI
Key Takeaways:
🔹 Start with ONE meaningful business problem (growth, profitability, or retention)
🔹 AI can clean your dirty data BEFORE you even begin analysis
🔹 You don't need a massive budget—nimbleness is your superpower
🔹 Think "revenue per head" metrics (target: $1M per employee)
🔹 Avoid the subscription trap—consolidate around strategic platforms
🔹 Your AI strategy should be owned by the CEO, not delegated to IT
Perfect For: Mid-market CEOs, founders, business leaders navigating digital transformation, operations executives, and anyone feeling overwhelmed by the AI landscape.
Guest: Chris Happ is the CEO of Virtuous AI and a proven mid-market CEO who has successfully sold multiple companies. He specializes in helping businesses implement AI strategically without the enterprise complexity.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction: Why AI is overwhelming mid-market CEOs
2:34 - The MIT study: 95% of Fortune 500 AI pilots fail
5:38 - AI as a change initiative, not just technology
8:59 - Why mid-market CEOs have the advantage
12:33 - Predictive vs deterministic AI explained simply
15:48 - Start with a business problem, not the technology
19:10 - Case study: AI-powered inventory optimization
21:42 - The dirty data problem and how AI solves it
27:09 - Common mistakes and opportunities
33:35 - The subscription model trap killing mid-market budgets
40:18 - AI for business intelligence and real-time reporting
44:44 - Critical cautions: protecting your competitive advantage
49:58 - What happens if you need to switch vendors?
55:32 - Final takeaways and next steps
Resources Mentioned:
MIT Fortune 500 AI Study
Virtuous AI Platform (BAYO - Business Automation Intelligence & Outcomes)
📌 Don't get left behind—subscribe for more candid conversations with CEOs who've been where you are!
Hashtags: #AIStrategy #MidMarketCEO #BusinessTransformation #AIForBusiness #CEOPodcast #DigitalTransformation #BusinessAutomation #AIImplementation #LeadershipPodcast #CEOInsights #ArtificialIntelligence #ChangeManagement #BusinessGrowth #VirtuousAI #CEOsUnscripted
About CEOs Unscripted: CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast by mid-market CEOs, for mid-market CEOs. Host Jane Gentry brings 20+ years of consulting experience and firsthand CEO leadership to deliver unfiltered conversations about what it really takes to lead, grow, and scale a business. No fluff. No jargon. Just real talk that drives real results.
🔔 Subscribe and hit the notification bell to never miss an episode! 💬 What's your biggest AI challenge? Drop it in the comments below!
58 min
September 16, 2025 How to Build Trust and Lead High-Performing Teams: CEO Steve Hedrick Shares Military Leadership Secrets
Join host Jane Gentry in this compelling episode of CEOs Unscripted as she sits down with Steve Hedrick, CEO of AVN Corporation, for an unfiltered conversation about leadership, empathy, and building successful organizations in today's competitive business landscape.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

- Leadership Fundamentals
- How military experience shapes executive decision-making and resilience
- The critical difference between empathy and sympathy in leadership
- Why trust is the foundation of high-performing teams
- How to simplify complex problems for better communication Scaling and

Growth Strategies
- Transitioning from large corporations to mid-market companies
- Avoiding decision-making bottlenecks while maintaining control
- Building organizational nimbleness without sacrificing structure
- Creating systems that protect against unnecessary complexity

People Development
- How to broaden leadership capabilities before promoting team members
- The importance of sending employees to top-tier continuing education programs
- Why diversity of thought and experience drives better results
- Setting conditions for employee success rather than managing failures

Network Building and Mentorship
- Building a global professional network through relationship-based leadership
- The power of having truth-tellers in your inner circle
- How YPO Forums provide peer support for CEOs
- Maintaining long-term relationships across career transitions

Key Takeaways for Mid-Market CEOs:
✓ Trust Your People: Surround yourself with the best talent and empower them to make decisions
✓ Empathy Over Sympathy: Experience challenges with your team rather than just feeling sorry for them
✓ Learn from Losses: Failures provide more valuable lessons than wins
✓ Continuous Learning: Stay curious and invest in your team's development ✓ Simplify Complexity: The best executives can synthesize complex problems into simple solutions
✓ Build Your Tribe: Cultivate relationships with people who will give you honest feedback

About the Guest: Steve Hedricks is the CEO of AVN Corporation, a global provider of specialized services to the chemical industry. A West Point graduate with a chemical engineering background, Steve brings unique insights from his military service and extensive experience in both large corporations and mid-market companies. AVN Corporation specializes in solving complex science and technology problems, from R&D through manufacturing scaling.

Perfect for: Mid-market CEOs and business leaders - Executives transitioning between company sizes - Leaders looking to improve team performance - Anyone interested in military-to-business leadership
translation - Chemical industry professionals and STEM leaders

#Leadership #CEOPodcast #BusinessGrowth #MidMarketCEO #ExecutiveLeadership #TeamBuilding #BusinessStrategy #ChemicalIndustry #MilitaryLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment
59 min
September 02, 2025From Carpenter’s Son to $500M CEO: Growth by Fundamentals, Not Fads — Troy Place (Place Services Inc.)
What does it really take to scale from $60M to $500M without turning your company into a bureaucracy? In this candid conversation, Troy Place (CEO, Place Services Inc.) and host Jane Gentry unpack the unsexy fundamentals behind year-over-year $100M growth: fast decision-making, quality that the customer defines, ruthless focus on profitability, hiring well, and operationalizing culture you can feel.
You’ll learn:
Why a poor decision beats no decision—and how indecision quietly kills growth

The exact fundamentals Troy returns to: sell profitably, deliver consistent quality, hire right people/right seats

How PSI applies EOS (the real-world, non-dogmatic version) and a one-page Proven Process

Practical ways to operationalize culture (new-hire lunches, values-based reviews, peer “praise cards”)

How CEOs avoid becoming the decision bottleneck and build a true decision matrix

Why shiny objects (and premature “college-level” process) derail teams still learning basics

Building leadership capacity while raising nine kids and aiming for a 100-year company

If you’re a mid-market CEO or operator, this is a playbook for durable growth—no fluff, just what works.
📌 Guest: Troy Place, CEO, Place Services Inc. (nationwide commercial & industrial construction; GC + 12 in-house trades)
🎙 Host: Jane Gentry — CEOs Unscripted
Chapters:
00:00 Growth snapshot: $60M → $500M (2018–2024) & the case for fundamentals
02:38 Show intro & why mid-market leadership is lonely
03:08 Troy’s backstory: 3rd-gen carpenter → founder during a recession
06:17 What PSI does: GC + 12 in-house trade divisions, nationwide
08:19 EOS in practice & the one-page Proven Process
11:44 Breaking growth ceilings; the single non-negotiable (fundamentals)
13:53 The CEO as (former) bottleneck: discipline, accountability & letting teams fix it
16:00 Decision rights & empowering without punishing mistakes
18:08 “A bad decision > no decision” (and why indecision kills)
21:38 The CEO’s job: decisions, fundamentals & culture you can feel
25:33 Operationalizing culture: new-hire lunches, values-based reviews
30:23 Peer praise cards & reinforcing the right behaviors
31:59 Planning for durable growth; learning from outsiders
33:42 Bootstrapping leadership: advisors, books, podcasts, Vistage
36:16 Growing the leader as the company scales
41:43 When EOS goes wrong: college-level process for elementary-level teams
44:39 Shiny object syndrome & long-tail costs
45:21 The fundamentals: profit first, quality every time, right people/right seats
48:50 What he’s reading & advisory boards
50:18 Early lessons from dad: “figure it out” mindset
51:41 Message to young leaders: learn to grind
52:10 Wish I’d done earlier: build an advisor bench
53:29 Getting unstuck: borrow other points of view
55:21 Motivation: build a 100-year company
56:46 Wrap

Book Referred in the Podcast: https://www.amazon.in/Game-Changing-Advisory-Boards-Leveraging-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B00CJH8DGK

Host: Jane Gentry - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemgentry/
Guest: Troy Place - https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-place-3b480242/
58 min
August 19, 2025Fortune 100 Tips: Cash Management, Talent Strategy & Decision-Making Speed with Stacey Tank
Are you a mid-market CEO struggling with cash flow, talent retention, or decision-making speed? Fortune 100 veteran turned growth company CEO Stacey Tank reveals the exact strategies that transformed her leadership from managing billion-dollar enterprises at GE, Home Depot, and Heineken to scaling a high-growth beauty brand.
KEY TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - From Fortune 100 to Growth CEO
05:30 - Why "Cash is Queen" in Growth Companies
12:45 - The "Aces in Their Places" Talent Strategy
18:20 - Decision Speed: 51-49 vs 95-5 Choices
25:10 - Overcoming the "Know-It-All" Leadership Trap
32:40 - When to Add Process vs Stay Agile
38:15 - 3-Dimensional Innovation Strategy
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
Cash Management for Growth: Why Stacey checks cash daily instead of P&L statements. Get specific frameworks for managing cash flow during scaling without debt or investors.
Revolutionary Talent Strategy: Real example of hiring an office manager who now runs warehouse, HR, and marketing. Learn why attitude beats credentials and how to create cross-functional collaboration.
Decision-Making Mastery: When to make lightning-fast decisions vs. letting situations "ripen." How enterprise complexity (51-49 decisions) differs from growth company clarity (95-5 decisions).
Authentic Leadership: Breaking the "Hermione Granger effect" - the need to know everything. How vulnerability and asking for help creates stronger leadership.
Smart Process Implementation: Stacey's criteria for when to add structure: when confusion slows teams down and meaningful value is at stake.
Innovation Strategy: Product, business model, and supply chain innovation during uncertainty (including China decoupling strategies).
STANDOUT INSIGHTS:
"You cannot herd cats, but you can move their food" - aligning teams through shared goals
How to retain top talent without top-tier compensation
The fragility of growth companies vs. enterprise stability
Building culture that scales without losing entrepreneurial speed
Perfect for: Mid-market CEOs ($10M-$500M revenue), founders scaling startups, enterprise executives considering growth company leadership, business owners struggling with talent retention.
Books mentioned in the Episode:

Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
About Stacey Tank: CEO of Bespoke Beauty Brands, 20+ years Fortune 100 experience (GE, Home Depot, Heineken), international executive across 6 countries, sits on public, private equity, and family-owned company boards.
Subscribe for unfiltered CEO conversations and practical growth strategies. Hit the bell for notifications!
#CEOPodcast #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #TalentManagement #CashFlow #MidMarketCEO
51 min
August 05, 2025From the NFL to the C-Suite: Rich Scanlon's Journey of Calculated Risk-Taking
In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane sits down with Rich Scanlon, Chairman of Sendible and a former NFL linebacker turned successful SaaS CEO. Rich shares his extraordinary journey from the football field to the boardroom, revealing how lessons in discipline, accountability, and high-stakes decision-making shaped his leadership style.
Tune in as Rich opens up about:
Transitioning from professional sports to business

Why athletes and military vets make great hires

The power of clarity, trust, and transparency in leadership

His biggest hiring mistakes—and how to avoid them

How to make bold decisions without perfect information

Why every CEO needs a personal outlet (and yes, the gym counts)

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom, unexpected laughs, and a whole lot of honesty. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned executive, Rich's story will challenge how you think about leadership, risk, and what it really means to build a winning culture.

Timestamps:
Introduction and Welcome - 0:00
Rich Scanlon's Background and Journey - 2:15
Transition from NFL to Business - 5:30
Decision-Making and Risk-Taking - 12:45
Accountability and Team Dynamics - 18:20
Career Development and Flexibility - 25:10
Maintaining Engagement and Trust - 32:00
Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts - 40:15
Conclusion and Call to Action - 45:00
50 min
July 22, 2025The Gratitude Advantage: How One CEO Built a Thriving Culture Through Authentic Leadership
What happens when a 39-year-old takes over a family business and inherits employees who are decades older? In this powerful episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Jim Nooney, who transformed Nooney Controls through the revolutionary power of gratitude and authentic leadership.
Jim shares his raw journey from feeling "unsuited" to run his father's business to building a culture where employees genuinely looked forward to coming to work. You'll discover why he believes gratitude is a "superpower" in business, how being debt-free enabled strategic risk-taking, and why asking for forgiveness can actually deepen business relationships.
Key Takeaways:
Why sincere gratitude (not gifts) transforms workplace dynamics
How to establish authority when leading people older than you
The hidden costs of employee turnover and how to prevent it
Why "no one cares what you know until they know you care"
The business case for putting employee wellbeing first
Here's a timestamp outline for the episode:

[00:00:00] - Introduction to CEOs Unscripted and guest Jim Nooney.

[00:05:00] - Jim's backstory and the founding of Nooney Controls.

[00:15:00] - Challenges of taking over a family business.

[00:25:00] - The role of gratitude in leadership and business success.

[00:35:00] - Building sincere relationships with employees and vendors.

[00:45:00] - Key insights on gratitude as a leadership tool.

[00:55:00] - The impact of gratitude on company culture and employee engagement.

[01:05:00] - Jim's advice for young leaders and aspiring CEOs.

[01:15:00] - Closing thoughts and takeaways from the conversation.
50 min

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