CEO Coaching International Podcast

Guest: Brian Mergelas, a coach at CEO Coaching International.  Brian is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of experience in driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence for global technology companies and startups.

Quick Background: As AI usage becomes more and more mainstream, companies that didn't have the foresight to include an AI road map in their last few annual planning sessions are scrambling onto the bandwagon. But if your company is in catch-up mode, you'll never gain ground in this rapidly evolving space without a plan for analyzing your options, building up your infrastructure, and streamlining integration.

On today's show, Brian Mergelas  explains how leaders can use AI to unlock value in their businesses. Brian shares his insights on developing an AI strategy, navigating its challenges, and its potential to revolutionize industries, including yours. We also explore practical examples of leveraging AI for process improvements, innovation, and decision-making to Make BIG Happen.

Guest: Jeff Tennyson, a Coach and Partner at CEO Coaching International and the former CEO of Lima One Capital, one of the country’s leading lenders to real estate investors. Jeff is also a former coaching client of CEO Coaching International.

Quick Background: Every entrepreneur dreams of a BIG exit. But having a dream isn't the same as having a plan. To attract an ideal buyer, owners and CEOs need to scale smart, assemble the right team, and adopt a strategic mindset that will turn their dream into a reality. 

On today's show, Jeff Tennyson shares his blueprint for preparing yourself and your company for a BIG exit.

Are you ready to achieve the unimaginable this year?

Then register now for the 2025 Make BIG Happen Summit, April 24-27 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel. This year, in addition to our usual lineup of world-class speakers and social events, we’re excited to unveil our exclusive “MBH” program—a full MBA experience distilled into one intensive day. You’ll gain strategies and insights directly from renowned experts like Good To Great author Jim Collins, and Harvard Business School professors Deepak Malhotra and Boris Groysberg. 

For a preview of the kind of inspiring, motivating, and actionable presentations you can expect at the Make BIG Happen Summit, listen to 2019 speaker John DiJulius deliver a masterclass on exceptional customer service. 

Guest: John DiJulius, Chief Revolution Officer and President of the DiJulius Group.

Quick Background: Most companies get customer service all wrong. They make a big show of designing shiny apps, building amazing showrooms, and rolling out cutting-edge products. But they forget to put laser focus on who actually pays for all that—the customer! When you deepen your customer relationships and focus on creating a memorable experience, you can charge a premium price and retain clients for life.

“Technology is only 10% of the experience,” says customer service expert John DiJulius, while your person who delivers the service is the other 90%. “Technology can never build a rapport, show empathy, or make a brilliant comeback when we drop the ball, but you can,” John says.

Many businesses are trying to de-emphasize the importance of the employee and replace them with chatbots and AI. But that technology will never outperform a well-trained human who steps in when your customer needs personalized help.

In this presentation, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching International Summit, John DiJulius explains how you can train your team to own every problem, make meaningful connections with every customer, and create a world-class customer experience that will drive BIG business.

Guest: Chris Stakich, Chief Community Officer at CEO Coaching International. Chris oversees our business forums, in-person events, and communication hubs. Prior to joining the team, Chris was the Chief Experience Officer at YPO where he oversaw 500+ global events, 6,500+ forums, all strategic partnerships, and the member learning strategy.

Quick Background: Learning and leadership growth should always be at the top of a CEO's list of New Year's goals. One of the most impactful ways to accelerate that learning is by connecting with other leaders. Business forums can  provide a structured and supportive environment to share your experiences, reflect on your challenges, and learn from your peers so that you can elevate your business skills and accelerate your success.

On today's show, Chris Stakich discusses how CEO Coaching International's new business forums complement the coaching experience and will help CEOS Make BIG Happen in 2025.

Guest: Dina Coker, the founder and CEO of Akcel Partners, a groundbreaking company that specializes in providing outsourced sales talent that is tailored to meet the specific challenges of its clients.

Overview: Making BIG Happen requires a sales strategy that's innovative, adaptable, and capable of sustaining scale. But sales isn't a core competency at all firms -- especially start-ups and companies that are laser-focused on product development. Outsourcing can give CEOs quick access to a world-class sales team while their company keeps doing what it does best. 

On today's show, Dina Coker explains how she deploys outsourced sales teams that complement or replace traditional in-house structures. She also discusses the critical moments when CEOs should consider leveraging outsourced sales talent and the key strategies for turning sales into a BIG advantage.

Guest: Erin Cigich, CEO of Perform[cb], a leading outcome-based marketing firm that helps brands acquire customers on a performance-based model where companies pay only for real results.

Overview: Every BIG starts small. In order to achieve their vision and sustain growth, the CEO has to establish precise, actionable steps that build towards measurable results. Keep the right numbers trending in the right direction every day, month, quarter, and year, and you'll keep Making BIG Happen. 

On today's show, Erin Cigich explains how thinking about sales as a "math problem" and working with a CEO coach have been instrumental in helping the company beat its sales target by more than 200%. We also talk about leveraging AI for customer acquisition, clarifying your ideal customer profile, and building a performance-based culture.

Guest: Matt Plitt, President & Chief Executive Officer of Valent U.S.A. LLC, which is part of Sumitomo Chemicals Global Agricultural Operations. Matt is responsible for driving growth across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

Overview: Every BIG is even BIGGER at a truly global business. Subsidiaries and their holding companies need to synchronize culture and processes to achieve a wide array of goals that impact a huge number of stakeholders. But leaders also have to be able to identify the specific action items that belong at the top of their to-do lists so that their company finds that sweet spot between operational rigor and optimal performance. 

On today's show, Matt Plitt explains how he led Valent by building a culture that balances entrepreneurial spirit with discipline. He also explains how working with CEO Coaching International helped him implement a framework for high performance, cultural alignment, and accountability.

Guest: Spencer Shaffer, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Spencer is a four-time CEO and entrepreneur with a wealth of experience across engineering services, energy, technology, and software as a service business models. He's also been a YPO member since 2006. Over the past 26 years, Spencer has led numerous business transformations through M&A, scaling operations, leadership development, and change management. He is passionate about building people, teams, and cultures.

Quick Background: The very best companies make the hard work of daily execution and consistent progress look easy. But to lead a company to that place where every cog is in sync and every flywheel is spinning, the CEO has to master three essential elements that keep people and processes heading in the same direction. 

On today's show, Spencer Shaffer dives into how these three essential elements combined with his top tactics for driving powerful execution will Make BIG Happen.

Guest: Greg Martin, an entrepreneur, CEO, private equity investor, and a coach at CEO Coaching International. Greg led four separate companies onto the Inc. 5000 list while achieving growth rates of over 6,000%. Combined, his businesses have generated more than $3 billion in revenue, created over 2,500 jobs, and resulted in two high-eight-figure exits.

Quick Background: A great company is always BIGGER than the sum of its parts. The very highest performers align everything they do around key elements that ground the company's purpose and guide its daily operations towards achieving BIG goals. 

On today's show, Greg Martin explains the five business elements all CEOs need to align to Make BIG Happen.