ChairWaves

If you’re not willing to dig into the details, you’re probably missing the real issue.

In this episode of the Chairwaves podcast, Vistage Chair Michael Edwards, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, talks about how an unexpected path, from grocery stores to law school to building software companies, ultimately led him to Vistage. He shares how his legal background trained him to slow down, listen carefully, and examine the fine details that others often overlook—a mindset that now defines how he leads his group.

What makes Michael’s group different is its blue-collar mix of leaders, many from small towns surrounding Lincoln, bringing practical, hands-on experience into every discussion. It’s a group shaped by leaders from small towns and hands-on industries, and that difference is something he’s proud of.

You can connect with Michael via email at [email protected], through the Vistage website, or through LinkedIn. 

If you’ve got people, you’ve got problems. That’s true no matter where you are in your leadership journey.

Rick Vanasse has built a practice around helping leaders at every level navigate one of the hardest parts of business—leading people and building strong organizations. From emerging leaders learning how to influence, to CEOs learning how to step back and truly listen, Rick sees the same challenges show up again and again when it comes to leading people. Leading well is an ongoing process, not a fixed skill.

In this episode of Chairwaves, we talk through Rick’s journey from manufacturing to healthcare, his work with leaders navigating family business transitions, and how his battle with stage four cancer reshaped how he thinks about resilience, humility, and relying on others.

This is a thoughtful conversation about leadership, transitions, and what really matters.

The best way to connect with Rick is by email at [email protected] or on LinkedIn. 

In a recent Vistage meeting, Atlanta-based Vistage Chair Meredith Jolly’s group worked through issues worth more than $20 million to the companies involved. For Meredith, that experience perfectly captures the power of peer groups: leaders getting perspectives they might never have considered on their own.

On this episode of the Chairwaves podcast, Meredith shares the journey that led her to become a Vistage Chair. She started as a part-time secretary at a fintech startup while in college and worked her way into the CEO role. Along the way she experienced the full lifecycle of a company—from startup growth to exit—and later led a private-equity-backed turnaround before becoming a Chair. Today she co-chairs a group in Atlanta where trust, candor, and a wide range of perspectives shape the discussion. As Meredith notes, there’s a Vistage saying that members come for the Chair but stay for the group—and she’s seen that dynamic take hold as members challenge, support, and learn from each other.

The best way to contact Meredith is by email at [email protected] or through her website.

Arturo Lopez didn’t build his Vistage groups the traditional way. Instead of recruiting from the usual executive circles, he looked for something different: good human beings with potential.

On this episode of the Chairwaves podcast, I talk with Houston Vistage Chair Arturo Lopez. Arturo’s career and education took him through seven countries before he began building his career in Houston. He explains how he built two CEO groups made up mostly of leaders under 50 from a wide range of cultural and professional backgrounds. His approach is simple: go where diverse entrepreneurs already are, ask trusted connections for introductions, and focus on finding people with character and potential rather than polished credentials. Arturo also shares the mindset that drives his work as a Chair. For him, the relationships formed in a Vistage group are lifelong. He approaches the role with a genuine love for entrepreneurship and a desire to help leaders grow beyond the title of CEO and become better people all around.

You can learn more about Arturo and reach him through his website.

For most of his career, Rick Rodgers kept one thing to himself: he has dyslexia.

He built a life in high-performance roles as a firefighter, paramedic, NASA rescue specialist, Wall Street professional, and commercial banker by working harder, pushing further, and proving he belonged. It wasn’t until his mid-30s, when he was finally diagnosed, that he began to understand how much that hidden struggle had shaped him.

In this episode of the Chairwaves podcast, Rick shares the moment during his Chair training when he chose honesty over self-protection. That shift allowed him to lead differently. Dyslexia, which once drove him to overcompensate, now shapes how he creates space for honesty and accountability in his Vistage groups. We talk about the loneliness of leadership and why so many accomplished executives still feel they have to project certainty instead of asking for help. Rick is now helping Chairs and CEOs better understand neurodiversity in their members, teams, and families.

The best way to reach Rick is by phone at 303-520-6447 or via email at [email protected]

Most new leaders aren’t short on talent—they’re short on someone they can talk to.

Jim Heller has spent his career navigating that reality. As a fourth-generation leader of a Detroit-based machining company, he joined Vistage because he didn’t want to be the one who derailed the family business. Eight years later, after firing himself as CEO and helping transition the company to outside leadership, he discovered something even more meaningful: the power of simply being present for other leaders.

Now a Vistage Chair with four groups in Michigan, including an Emerging Leaders group he launched during COVID, Jim is passionate about developing first-time leaders and believes many of them are stepping into bigger roles without enough time or guidance to grow. Supporting them is one of the ways he chooses to serve. 

If you care about developing leaders at any level, you’ll appreciate this conversation!

If you’d like to connect with Jim, you can reach him via email at [email protected] or on LinkedIn. 

If you can’t walk away from your business and have it still run, do you own a company or do you just have a job?

Cynthia Goro’s perspective comes from experience. She grew up in her family’s garbage truck manufacturing business in Iowa, became president, and led the company through rapid growth, restructuring after 9/11, and a successful exit. Along the way, she discovered that real value isn’t just revenue or market share. It’s creating a business that continues to run, grow, and lead even when the owner steps away.

In this episode of Chairwaves, we talk about Cynthia’s four Vistage groups, family business dynamics, imposter syndrome, and what it means to build a legacy that benefits employees, the industry, and the community. This is a candid conversation about building something that lasts.

You can reach Cynthia via email at [email protected] or by cell phone at 319-830-3555.

When things go wrong in business—or in sports—the fastest way forward usually starts with personal accountability. In the latest episode of the Chairwaves podcast, Lance Vieira explains why leaders have to look in the mirror before blaming circumstances and why trying to solve everything on their own often creates bigger problems. Drawing from decades as a football coach and business leader, Lance shares how adjustment, preparation, and self awareness shape better decisions when pressure is high.

As a Denver based Vistage Chair working with a small business group, Lance runs his group like a team built on trust and discipline. Lance focuses on building a strong bench and shows genuine care for the people in his group. 

Lance can be reached via email at [email protected] or by cell phone at 720-394-7789. 

Some people sell products. Bob Wightman sells possibility, and a path to better decision-making. After 40 years in banking, including starting two banks from scratch, Bob now helps business owners and executives navigate the unknown through peer advisory groups.

From the chaos of the '80s banking collapse to leading five Vistage groups—four with a co-chair—Bob’s journey is packed with insight. In this episode of Chairwaves, he talks about drawing out what matters most to his members, identifying risk (a habit he can’t quit), and why helping others find the right peer group—not necessarily his—is what keeps him going. Because the truth is, almost every business owner can benefit from a peer group.

You can reach Bob directly at 214-564-0997 or via email at [email protected].

What happens when a group of CEOs shows up with both head and heart? According to Salt Lake City Chair Laura Langehaug, that’s when real leadership conversations begin.

 In this episode of the Chairwaves podcast, Laura shares how her background in human capital and executive recruiting helped her recognize a common thread among high-performing leaders: isolation. Her Vistage group breaks that pattern, with diverse voices, generational perspectives, and a culture built on trust and openness. We talk about how shared values—not similar resumes—create real connection, and how Laura’s approach helps leaders open up, support each other, and grow together.

You can contact Laura through her Vistage profile or through LinkedIn.