Confessions of a Vistage Chair

E12: The Turnaround Guy: Saving Billion-Dollar Companies by Fixing People First with Bob Murray

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.  
Let's pull back the curtain!
Bob Murray is the type of person who went from wiring data centers as an electrician in Saskatchewan to leading billion-dollar turnarounds at one of the world's largest mobile companies. In this episode, Bob unpacks what three decades of turnaround work taught him about fixing people before fixing businesses, why toxic culture almost always comes down to a small handful of people, and how building an organization where people bring their hearts to work is the only strategy that actually scales. Timestamps00:00 From Electrician to CEO: Early Culture02:32 Unexpected Path to Leadership06:03 Core Excellence and Values Alignment15:02 Building Culture Through Small Actions22:07 Vision and Direction in Turnarounds25:28 Leadership Assessment: Vision & Foxes31:56 Owner Meddling and Schizophrenic Culture34:45 Surgical Approach to Toxic Culture40:28 Unlocking Potential and Life’s Purpose44:46 Vistage Members and Imposter Syndrome
 
Guest Links
https://robert-murray.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsmurray1/
https://tec-canada.com/our-speakers/robert-murray/
 

E11: EOS and Vistage Aren't Competing. Here's Why You Need Both with Christine Spray

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
In this episode, Christine Spray breaks down the difference between EOS and Vistage in a way I've never heard explained before. She also tackles why you shouldn't have to choose between them and what she's learned about leadership, resilience, and never doing it alone, over a career unlike anyone else's in this space.
 
This one is a masterclass from start to finish.
Timestamps
02:57 Adversity, Resilience, and Self-Help
12:57 Overcoming Fear and Continuous Improvement
19:54 Lessons from Public Speaking and Boards
25:59 Strategic Networking and Leadership Growth
32:07 Effective Coaching and Sales Development
39:52 Hiring Sales Talent and the EOS/Vistage Dynamic
43:59 EOS vs. Vistage: Distinct Values
 
Guest Links
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/00380000018bSb0AAE/christine-spray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinespray/
EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/christine-spray/

E10: Peer Accountability: Toxic Culture Always Starts at the Top with Heather Anderson

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let's pull back the curtain!
 
Heather Anderson is the type of person who said yes to coaching a sixth-grade field hockey team, having never seen a field hockey game. In this episode, Heather unpacks what she learned taking a 2-and-10 team to 10-and-0 and how those same leadership principles show up in every boardroom she walks into. She gets into why toxic culture always traces back to the leader, why emotional intelligence starts with self-awareness, and what her secret sauce has been for two decades of success.
Timestamps
 04:19 Coaching Without Expertise
07:05 Cultivating Team Culture
11:53 Peer-Led Culture vs. CEO Culture
28:11 Self-Awareness in Leadership
39:12 Three-Perspective Exercises
44:29 Vistage Chair Success Secrets
Guest Links
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slKqPAAU/heather-anderson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-anderson-72230b/

E9: From Enlisted to the White House to Vistage Chair: The Long Road with Brian Roberts

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
In this episode, Brian takes us from enlisting in the Air Force at 18, through the Reagan-Gorbachev summits, the birth of the internet, a radio show that got him one-phone-call access to any CEO in DC, and eventually to becoming a Vistage Chair. He also gets brutally honest about the one decision he regrets most: not joining a peer group before the recession hit.
 
This one is packed with wisdom, war stories, and the kind of perspective that only comes from actually living it.
Timestamps
04:44 Path to Becoming an Officer
12:47 Transition to Civilian Life
17:59 Military Skills in the Civilian World
24:34 Resilience Through Career Challenges
28:06 Entrepreneurial Journey: 9/11 and Beyond
43:55 Recession and Business Collapse
47:36 Becoming a Vistage Chair
54:27 The Entrepreneurial Struggle
 
Guest Links
brian.roberts@vistagechair.com
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slWEfAAM/brian-roberts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrobertscroix/

E8: "You're Unemployable": Chris Quinn's Midlife Pivot That Changed Everything

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
Let's pull back the curtain!
Chris Quinn’s path to Vistage Chair is anything but conventional. He went from shaving his surfer hair at Officer Candidate School to commanding infantry platoons in the Middle East, serving as aide-de-camp to a two-star general, and eventually becoming president of a public biotech company, all before his wife sat him down and told him he was flat-out unemployable.
In this episode, Chris gets real about what the Marine Corps actually teaches you about leadership that no MBA ever could, why empathy and sympathy are not the same thing, and what it means to run a Vistage group the way a great coach runs a team. 
Tune in! You won't want to miss it.
 
Timestamps
00:00 Military Beginnings
03:52 Military Deployments and Aid Role
12:30 Simplicity and Agility in Leadership
16:32 Key Leadership Behaviors and Self-Control
20:50 Challenges and Reflections on Military Life
26:21 Embracing Entrepreneurship and Values
32:08 Personal Growth and Career Redirection
36:09 The Power of Vistage and Peer Advisory
41:59 Transition to Consulting & E-Learning
45:34 Marketing Readiness Diagnostic
 
Guest Links
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000002BRNSKAA5/chris-quinn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-quinn-ceoadvisor/

E7: Sacred Spaces, Assumed Uncertainty, and the Art of Leading Others with Julie Reinganum

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
Julie Reinganum has lived one of the most unconventional paths I've ever heard of: from studying Chinese on a whim to landing at the UN during the early days of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, to leading AT&T's first international deal in China, selling her own consulting firm, and becoming a Vistage Chair. She didn't follow a plan. She followed her instincts.
 
In this episode, Julie gets honest about what it actually means to create a sacred space within a Vistage group and why planning with assumed uncertainty is the only strategy that works in today's environment. Tune in! You won't want to miss it.
Timestamps
03:13 - U.S.-China Relations and Early Career
11:18 - AT&T and the Business School Impact
17:18 - Launching a Consulting Firm
23:27 - Selling a Business and Peer Groups
32:01 - Transition to Vistage Chair
37:16 - Evolving Business Challenges and Leadership
44:31 - Planning Amidst Uncertainty
57:04 - Vistage Connect: Virtual Groups
Guest Links
Email: Julie.Reinganum@vistagechair.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliereinganum/

E6: You're Hiring Wrong, Firing Wrong, and Onboarding Wrong with Dick Singer

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
In this episode, Dick Singer gets honest about how most companies are hiring fast and firing slow when it should be the exact opposite, why behavior beats skill every single time in the hiring process, and what it actually means to be a Vistage Chair who puts members first. We also get into business acquisitions, due diligence, and what a six-year drought in Lake Tahoe taught him about making decisions with your gut instead of your head.
 
This is 25 years of wisdom in one conversation. Don't miss it!
Timestamps
 07:09 - Recruiting Challenges and Member Retention
16:24 - Tailoring Vistage Groups
25:57 - The Importance of Due Diligence and People
35:14 - Hiring for Behavior, Not Just Skill
44:26 - Strategic Hiring: Always Interviewing
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dicksinger/
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/0038000000slK2zAAE/dick-singer
 
#HiringStrategy #OnboardingStrategy #DueDiligence #IssueProcessing

E5: Your Business Plan is Killing You with Georganne Goldblum

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
This week, I sat down with Vistage Chair Georganne Goldblum for one of the most honest conversations I've had about what it actually takes to build a business worth owning, and eventually worth selling.
 
Georganne's path is unlike anyone else I've talked to. She started in the boardrooms of Fortune 500 giant General Foods, moved into entrepreneurship when she and her husband acquired an office furniture company, and eventually found her way to Vistage. What she's built since then is remarkable. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what Vistage Chairs actually do inside the room, how Georganne helps CEOs stop chasing revenue and start building real enterprise value, and why the businesses that sell for the most aren't always the ones growing the fastest.
 
This episode is packed, and there's sure to be something in here for everyone.
Timestamps
04:14 - Entrepreneurial Ventures and Challenges
13:06 - Vistage Philosophy and CEO support
19:46 - Building Business Value and Future Planning
30:10 - Leveraging AI for Business and Operations
46:12 - Organic Growth vs. VC Funding
51:01 - Vistage: Profitable Growth and Support
 
Guest Links
Website: https://coach4execs.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sflexecutivecoach/
Vistage Website: https://vistageflorida.com/vistage-chair/georganne-goldblum/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ggoldblum/

E4: From Bankruptcy to Master Vistage Chair: Mark Taylor's Leadership Journey

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
In this episode of Confessions of a Vistage Chair, I sit down with Mark Taylor to unpack one of the most powerful leadership journeys I’ve heard.
 
Mark fought to go to college, launched a business that went bankrupt within six months, rebuilt from scratch, and eventually built one of Michigan’s fastest-growing companies. Along the way, he learned hard lessons about culture, financial literacy, and burnout. Joining Vistage became a turning point, helping him move from working in his business to working on it, developing as a CEO, and ultimately discovering his deeper purpose. Today, Mark is a Master Vistage Chair in New York City and one of only 13 Chairs globally with more than 100 members.
 
If you’re a CEO, founder, Vistage member, or aspiring Chair, this conversation is about growth, purpose, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.
 
Timestamps
05:53 First Business Failure & Lessons
11:19 Transformational Courses & Second Business
16:29 Vistage: From Micromanager to a True CEO
26:28 Overcoming Financial Challenges
31:37 Selling the Business & Reverse Commute
37:39 The Trauma of Losing Control to Becoming a Vistage Chair
57:22 Finding Purpose in Vistage
1:00:05 Advice for Vistage Chairs
 
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktaylorceocoachnyc/
Website: https://marktaylor.nyc/
Vistage: https://www.vistage.com/research-center/author/mark-taylor/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtaylortec/

E3: Why Your Company Can't Scale (And It's Probably You) with Rick Vanasse

Welcome to Confessions of a Vistage Chair, a podcast by Talent Harbor, where we have real, behind-the-scenes conversations with Vistage Chairs. They share honest stories and practical insights on leadership growth, peer advisory groups, and what actually happens in Vistage meetings.
 
Let’s pull back the curtain!
 
In this episode of Confessions of a Vistage Chair, I sit down with Vistage Chair Rick Vanasse to unpack one of the hardest truths in leadership: the biggest obstacle to business growth is often the CEO.
 
Rick shares lessons from decades of working with CEOs and executive teams on organizational design, culture, and leadership development. We talk about why companies hit growth ceilings and why leaders must sometimes let go of roles they love in order to scale. We also dive into the concept of  “Going to the Balcony”, stepping back from day-to-day operations to see patterns, identify root problems, and lead strategically instead of reactively.
If you're a CEO, founder, entrepreneur, or executive leader, this conversation will challenge you.
 
Timestamps
11:12 Leadership and Core Values
21:26 Overcoming Growth Obstacles as a CEO
34:39 Reactive vs. Creative Leadership
39:34 The Hero’s Journey to Self-Awareness
44:07 The Mindset Shift to CEO
52:00 The CEO’s Big Picture
Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-vanasse-vistagechair/
Vistage Website: https://app.vistage.com/sites/s/chairs/00380000021W2D6AAK/rick-vanasse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grounded_toward_growth/