ChairWaves

What do you do when Monday hits and you've got zero RSVPs for a critical event that’s supposed to happen this week? If you're Vistage Chair Tim Cole, you dig deep. Tim talks about the moment he realized his drive to succeed wasn’t just about him, but about showing his daughters what it looks like to push through.

We also unpack Tim’s journey from corporate tech at IBM to running a Hallmark subsidiary to starting a ceramics dinnerware company, a business he ultimately walked away from rather than compromise on quality. Along the way, he moved to Colorado to be closer to family and start from scratch again. If you’ve ever faced a tough pivot or wondered how far your values can carry you, Tim’s story offers some real clarity.

You can reach Tim via email at [email protected].

Julianne Roth had a choice: buy an existing business or build one from the ground up. She chose to start from scratch and it paid off. In this episode, Julianne shares how she launched her home care company, scaled it into the top 4% of the industry, and led it through a successful acquisition, all while raising kids and staying true to her standards. That same clarity and resilience now fuels her work as a Vistage Chair, where she leads two CE groups, including a 30-year legacy group she was handpicked to take over. We also talk about her second act as a horse farm owner, where 40 chickens and some horses keep things interesting between CEO meetings.

You can contact Julianne at [email protected] or at 860-478-4445.

What if building a Vistage group didn’t require selling at all?

Suzanne Livingston has spent the last 20 years helping hundreds of Vistage Chairs discover a deeper, more sustainable approach to recruiting members—one rooted in purpose, not pressure. She’s not currently a Chair herself, but she’s worked alongside them long enough to know what actually works and what leads to burnout.

In this episode, Suzanne breaks down why so many new Chairs struggle to get traction and how success starts when you align your group with your greater purpose instead of focusing on sales tactics. If you’ve ever felt out of sync with traditional member-building strategies, this episode offers a different and more sustainable way forward.

You can connect with Suzanne via her LinkedIn profile, visit www.suzannelivingston.com to join her email list, or reach out directly at [email protected].

Sometimes the million-dollar insight doesn’t come from the $100 million CEO. It comes from the $5 million CEO sitting across the table. That’s the power of Vistage, and it’s the kind of magic Nancy Capistran sees in her groups every month.

Nancy is more than a Vistage Chair: she’s a crisis strategist, a leadership coach, and a self-proclaimed “911 call for executives.” Her journey spans startups, multibillion-dollar companies, and even a stint at the FBI Citizens Academy. In this episode, we talk about what it means to lead in a crisis, how growth can feel like chaos, and why the hardest times in business are often the best times to be part of a peer group.

To connect with Nancy, visit her website, find her on LinkedIn, or email her at [email protected].

The values that guide Charlie Hoch today were forged in the military and they haven’t faded one bit.

Charlie Hoch isn’t just launching his first Vistage group, he’s doing it with the intensity and integrity of a former Marine, corporate executive, and leadership trainer. In this episode, we talk about the moment a sergeant major told Charlie to “put the shovel down” (yes, it’s as brutal and brilliant as it sounds), how military leadership shapes his approach today, and why he believes building a peer group is the most fun, and most meaningful work, he’s ever done.

Charlie brings the same integrity and leadership style he learned in the military to every conversation he has with prospective members. He’s not selling: he’s inviting. If you’re ready to grow, he’ll meet you where you are.

You can reach Charlie via email at [email protected] or by phone or text at (901) 491-8334.

Joe White believes in the power of teams—not just in sports, but in business.

In this episode, Joe breaks down the crossover lessons from his career as a baseball pitcher, teacher, and high school coach into his current role as a Vistage Chair. Be sure to listen when Joe walks through his CPC leadership model:  Coach it, Practice it, Challenge it. Most leaders skip the third step, they teach and rehearse but never truly challenge their people. And when those people fail under pressure, no one’s surprised. Joe’s approach is grounded, practical, and battle-tested—and it’s helping business leaders play a bigger game.

Whether you're coaching athletes or executives, the fundamentals are the same: leadership is personal, failure is essential, and growth happens when you’re pushed just beyond comfortable.

You can reach out to Joe via email at [email protected] or check out his website www.coachjoewhiteconsulting.com.

Amanda Carrothers grew up with Vistage speakers at the dinner table—literally. Her father, a longtime Chair, exposed her early to the power of peer advisory and the people who make it work. Years later, she bought a training and development company at age 21 and turned it into a global business serving clients like the UN and World Health Organization.

Joining Amanda in this episode is Emma Doyle, Vistage’s 2024 Top New Speaker and a former professional tennis coach who now helps leaders show up with curiosity and connection. Together with Erik, they explore what makes a group thrive, how to create space for deep transformation, and what great speakers actually bring to the room. Amanda shares why passion—not polish—is what leaves a lasting impression, while Emma explains how a single question helps her align each session to the Chair’s vision.

You can connect with Amanda on LinkedIn or at www.amandacarrothers.com and with Emma at www.emmadoyle.com.au 

What does it take to build a peer group that actually accelerates growth? According to Denver-area Vistage Chair Michael Flannery, it starts with members who are as eager to give as they are to receive. In this episode, Michael shares how his career as a serial COO and business builder led him to Vistage—and why his groups are full of leaders with big visions and open minds. These are not “lifestyle business” CEOs. They’re founders and executives who crave scale, challenge assumptions, and genuinely want to become better leaders.

Michael also explains why stepping away from the day-to-day to join a Vistage group—just 5% of your time—can actually save you time. With the right peer group, better decisions come faster. If you’ve ever questioned the ROI of joining a CEO group, this conversation will make you think again.

The best way to reach Michael is through LinkedIn or by email at [email protected].

For our 50th episode of Chairwaves, we’re joined by New York City Chair Mark Taylor, who tackles one of the toughest challenges in group dynamics: How do you serve CEOs ranging from $5M to $350M in revenue? His answer: Triads—small groups of three members with shared characteristics who meet regularly to give each other focused, actionable feedback.

Mark reflects on 20 years as a Chair, the business failure that set him on a better path, and the surprising coaching method that transformed his practice. He also shares how becoming the first Vistage Chair certified in Positive Intelligence sparked a ripple effect that’s now impacted 500+ Chairs and their members. With his energy, insight, and commitment to helping others lead better, Mark was the perfect guest to mark this milestone episode.

The best ways to connect with Mark are via LinkedIn, through his website or by email at [email protected].

Facilitating a Vistage group solo means juggling a lot—coaching, listening, guiding, and watching the room. But what if you didn’t have to do it alone?

Aviva Leebow Wolmer and Renee Klein believe two leaders are better than one. Their partnership raises the bar for member impact, decision-making, and group dynamics. With distinct strengths and shared values, co-chairing enables them to stay fully present, read the room, and challenge members more effectively. One leads while the other watches for subtle, game-changing cues, resulting in deeper discussions, broader networks, and sharper insights.

In this episode, they share what it takes to build high-performing peer groups from scratch, why being “coachable” is non-negotiable, and how their shared commitment to growth shapes everything they do. Their “BOGO” model is a high-impact strategy for accelerating growth, deepening engagement, and expanding their reach across multiple groups.

Want to connect or learn more? Reach out to Renee and Aviva on LinkedIn or through https://builtformore.ai/.