ChairWaves

If you’ve ever reached a point where you thought, “I don’t know how to go on,” you’re not alone—and Steve Sager gets it. Years before selling his business, Steve hit a wall that nearly ended his entrepreneurial journey. From sweeping shop floors in his dad’s countertop business to leading a successful tech company for 19 years, Steve shares his full-circle journey and why he now helps other CEOs avoid the mistakes he once made. With support from Vistage and a dose of hard self-reflection, he found his way forward—and now he’s paying it forward as a Chair. His advice? Ask for help. It’s not weakness—it’s wisdom.

Want to reach Steve? Email him at [email protected] or call 303-419-9800.

After 18 years running a digital marketing agency, Denver Vistage Chair Mindy Phillips knows the realities of growth, exit, and reinvention. Now, she’s guiding small business CEOs through challenges she understands firsthand. In this conversation, Mindy shares how her experience scaling an agency prepared her to lead a peer group and why the first year as a Chair is more demanding than expected. She even likens building a Vistage group to online dating—because finding the right members is all about chemistry, trust, and a leap of faith. And through it all, her members continue to sharpen her own leadership by reminding her that the right questions matter more than fast answers.

Connect with Mindy through email at [email protected] or by phone at 303-517-3849.

Marc Wallace has no plans to slow down—and he’s counting on his members to be the first to tell him if that time comes. The longtime Colorado Vistage Chair has built an ecosystem of groups where candor, trust, and real human connection are the norm. Drawing from an extraordinary career at Dow Chemical, launching and taking a consulting firm public, and navigating personal loss, Marc shares how he’s turned those experiences into wisdom for his members. From helping CEOs open up about life beyond business to inviting his wife into retreats and gatherings, helping members connect on a personal as well as professional level, Marc’s story is proof that staying engaged could be the real secret to longevity—in life and in leadership.

The best way to contact Marc is through email at [email protected] or by phone at 303-641-5804.

Ana Quinn knows what it’s like to guide people through uncertain times. When a career change landed her in coaching just before 9/11, she found herself helping people navigate layoffs, immigration challenges, and personal upheaval. That experience still defines her approach today: meet people where they are, clear the “head trash” that gets in their way, and help them reach their full potential.

Her path to becoming a Vistage Chair started with a nudge from her husband, Chris, but her years of coaching and helping leaders through change made the decision an easy one. Today, Ana and Chris co-chair multiple Vistage groups while running a family business with their two sons — a partnership where his big-picture vision and her execution mindset turn ideas into action.

The best way to connect with Ana is through LinkedIn. 

Recruiting new members isn’t just a process—it’s a skill, and one Scott Bunce had to learn the hard way.

Scott’s journey is anything but ordinary. From running global hotel operations to stepping into a Chair role after the sudden passing of his mentor, Scott now leads a thriving group—and is helping his wife launch her own. In this episode, we talk about the emotional transition from member to Chair, the unexpected challenges of recruiting, and what it takes to let go of your “consultant brain” in favor of becoming a true facilitator. Scott breaks down how he evolved from a passionate member into a Chair who’s reshaping the group from the inside out.

To reach Scott, you can email him at [email protected] or call him at 970-389-4187.

How long does it take to build trust? The answer can vary, but for Nancy Girres, Vistage Chair and Best Practice Chair for Colorado, it can happen fast when you lead with vulnerability. Nancy leads her groups with a level of openness and intention that invites others to do the same. In this conversation, we talk about her journey from tuxedo executive to peer group powerhouse, and how she’s made her Vistage work the most meaningful chapter of her career. From building a CE group in 90 days to launching a new group with her daughter this fall, Nancy’s story is packed with purpose and a little Iowa farm grit.

She also shares the group exercise that never fails to deepen connections: five personal pictures and an “I Am” poem. The result is trust that shows up fast.

The best way to contact Nancy is by email at [email protected].

RJ Kolton has led soldiers in combat, taught at West Point, worked under the Drug Czar in the White House, and built a private sector career in the government contracting world. Today, he brings all that experience to his Vistage CE group—one that’s made up almost entirely of GovCon CEOs. With government policy shifts constantly in play, RJ’s group stays grounded through a mindset he calls “stoic leadership”: focus on what you can control, support your people, and never lose sight of the mission.

This episode explores RJ’s unique leadership arc—from battlefield to boardroom—and what it takes to lead during uncertain times. He also shares why CEOs must think like athletes: “Last season’s wins are great, but you’ve got to show up ready to play this year.”

To get in touch with RJ you can email him at [email protected].

How do you go from nurse to franchise founder to aerospace advocate to Vistage Chair? Ask my Chairwaves guest Erin Herringshaw. Her career path is anything but conventional—but every step has led to deeper insight into what business owners truly need: support, perspective, and someone to challenge their blind spots.

In this episode, Erin shares how she built and sold a meal-prep business that started with wine, food stations, and a Sharpie-covered signature wall. She opens up about what it took to launch her first Vistage group, how she screens new members (spoiler: arrogance is a dealbreaker), and the advice she’d give her younger entrepreneurial self. “If I’d had Vistage back then,” she says, “it would’ve changed the whole trajectory.”

The best way to reach Erin is to connect with her on LinkedIn.

When your members name the group “The Refinery” and plan their own retreat, you know something special is happening.

Vistage Chair Jim Ristuccia shares how a retreat full of logos, laughter, and cross-talk turned his CE group into something deeper. From career Navy officer to award-winning COO to full-time Chair, Jim brings a systems mindset and deep emotional intelligence to his work—including a one-of-a-kind Emerging Leaders group he leads for Vistage employees. We cover everything from the power of writing your own CEO job description to what it means to build culture on purpose—not by accident.

To connect with Jim, visit his website.

When a career banker walks away from the industry without a plan, the next chapter isn’t usually “Vistage Chair of five groups and best practice leader for all of Chicago.” But that’s exactly how Aimee Daniels rewrote her story.

In this episode, Aimee shares the moment she stepped away from corporate life and stepped into something entirely new—eventually becoming a Vistage Chair, mentor, and trusted voice among her peers. We talk about the difference between peer pressure and peer support, the unique dynamics of Vistage Inside groups, and why even the most seasoned leaders need a chair of their own. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a Chair—or wondered what makes someone good at it—Aimee breaks it down with clarity and candor.

The best way to contact Aimee is via LinkedIn or by email at [email protected].