Felix Enterprises, LLC

Helping Business Owners and CEOs Lead with Clarity, Purpose, and Courage

After founding and leading Applied Educational Systems (AES) for over three decades — and guiding it through a successful acquisition by a global private equity firm — I started Felix Enterprises to focus on the work I find most meaningful: helping CEOs and business owners grow through honest reflection, intentional leadership, and deep personal insight.

At Felix, I work exclusively with CEOs and owners of companies ranging from $5M to $500M in revenue, primarily in Lancaster and the surrounding region. My approach is rooted in one-on-one coaching — no groups, no noise — just focused, candid conversations that lead to real clarity and deliberate action.

This work is not about offering quick fixes or recycled advice. It’s about asking the right questions — the ones no one else dares to — and creating space for leaders to think more clearly, act more intentionally, and grow with greater confidence.

The lessons I bring to this work were forged over 36 years of real-world leadership — scaling AES, earning a place on the Inc. 5000 list five years in a row, and navigating everything from growth and complexity to succession and exit. Much of that journey was shaped by my 19-year membership in Vistage, which provided me with a peer group and framework that profoundly impacted both my business and personal growth.

Now, through Felix Enterprises, I aim to pay that forward — helping growth-minded leaders thrive in their business and in life.

Founder

Applied Educational Systems, Inc.

Everything we do at AES is about believing in life-long learning. We believe that life-long learning sets people free.  We empower lifelong learners by developing digital curriculum systems that easily saves time for a teacher, promotes interaction, is simple to use and current. We make great interactive eLearning curriculum systems that give teachers the time to develop relationships with students.

AES achieved the Inc 5000 list for five years (2018-2022). In addition, AES was honored as one of the Best Places to work in PA.

In October 2022, The Riverside Company, a global private investor, acquired Applied Educational Systems (AES), a digital career and technical education content provider for K-12 schools and career centers. AES is an add-on to Riverside’s iCEV platform, a leading developer of SaaS-based digital curriculum, instructional materials, and industry certifications.  Read more here:  https://www.riversidecompany.com/currents/aes-news-release/

After the acquisition in October 2022, I helped with the integration of AES and iCEV as a consultant.

Founder & CEO 

Cargas Systems

I served as an advisor and, since 2013, as a Board of Director member. Cargas offers a rare and unique employee ownership culture called Shared Success. Creating a winning environment for owners, employees, customers, partners, and the community is simple.

My contribution from experience focused on sales, marketing, strategic development & planning, and process improvements.

During that time, Cargas, an employee-owned company, accomplished the following:

Sales Grew - 5x
Profits Grew - 20x
FTE Growth - 4x
Best Places to Work in PA - 10x
Inc 5000 list - 4x
Private Company "Board of the Year" Award

Member Board of Directors

Vistage International

Vistage brings together business leaders from diverse businesses and backgrounds to coach and advise each other to drive better decisions and achieve better results.  I was a member of Rick Oppenheimer's, then Shaun Balani Central PA Vistage Executive group 349.

Member of CEO Group

Demme Learning

Member of the Board of Advisors

Link Simulation Systems

I was responsible for executing an annual sales plan within the United States by working with independent sales representatives to help open, manage and close sales opportunities in the career education and technical training market.  I provided outside sales support for independent sales reps as needed, including making sales presentations to potential customers, using selling techniques to assist the independent sales reps in negotiating sales, exhibiting and presenting at shows and conferences, and training new and current independent sales reps on Link's Simulation Systems products and sales processes.  The work also included developing close working relationships with independent sales reps.

Vocational Sales

Many business owners and CEOs didn’t start out feeling isolated. But the weight of ownership builds over time.

It gets harder to think clearly. Harder to speak honestly. Harder to know who to trust.

I know the feeling. I lived it.

I founded and led Applied Educational Systems for 36 years. I made mistakes. Had wins. Took hits. And for a long stretch, I carried too much on my own.

That changed when I joined Vistage in 2003.

The group gave me real accountability. Honest feedback. And the courage to lead better — which helped me scale, earn 5 straight years on the Inc. 5000, and exit successfully.

Now I chair a private Vistage group for CEOs in Central PA. It’s a selective group of business owners — growth-minded, real, and ready to be challenged.

There are only a couple of open seats. And it has to be the right fit — for them and for me.

It’s not for most. But for the right CEO, it can be a game changer.

Five became zero.

Raising five kids taught me a simple rule. Help others find their own answers.

Our youngest just graduated and is off to live and work in Chicago. Independence has been our mission at home and at work.

It was messy and full of trial and error.

As parents and leaders, we want to step in and fix things. The real gift is stepping back so others can stand on their own.

Teams thrive when leaders trust them to own decisions. Families thrive when kids learn by doing.

Independence is not letting go. It means equipping people to choose their path and trusting the foundation you built.

What role has independence played in your leadership or family?

#FamilyBusiness #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance

P.S. A picture says it all. Tracy Schultz  and I now stare at each other and cheer from the sidelines.

Jim Schultz

Entrepreneur & Exited Founder | Supporting CEOs Who Scale Smarter, Build Legacy, and Create Life Beyond Business

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Stop asking "How are you?" at work.

I spent 36 years as a business owner. Too often, I'd greet employees, colleagues, even my own adult kids with that throwaway line. My mind was already racing to the next meeting or problem.

A coach challenged me to flip that script. I began asking, "What's the best thing that happened to you last week?" At first, people looked surprised, especially my adult kids who'd roll their eyes and say "Dad..." But then their faces lit up and they shared real stories.

Ken Proctor "Art of the Question" work reinforced this for me. The right question changes everything.

One of my best moments happened recently. Laying in the grass with one of my grandsons, answering his endless questions, fully present. No phone. No agenda. Just time together.

Those small, unplanned moments often carry more weight than any quarterly win. 

They remind us what drives real connection and trust, whether with family or our teams here in Lancaster and Central PA.

The question you ask sets the tone for everything that follows.

What's the question you're going to ask tomorrow to start a conversation that's different?

#FamilyFirst #CEOlife #LancasterPA #Leadership

“Spend more time with your family. You’ll never wish you worked more.”

I’ve heard that advice a hundred times.
Peer groups.
Coaches and mentors.
LinkedIn.
Holiday dinners.
Friends.

After 36+ years of building something while raising my five kids, I’ve been thinking about it.

I used to feel guilty. Maybe I should’ve done less. Been home more. Worked 40 to 50-hour weeks like normal people. Done things with friends. Golfed. For me, it was just work and family. That was the focus.

Looking back, I don’t have regrets. My kids noticed the grit. They saw the effort. And that’s shaped who they’ve become.

That’s my story, not a blueprint.
And each of us has to find the balance that works for us, for our families, for the season we’re in.

Maybe the better question isn’t “Should I work less?”
Maybe it’s “Are we good, really good, at home and at work?”
And if not, are we talking about it?

#FounderLife #EntrepreneurJourney #WorkAndFamily #LeadershipReflections #BuildWithPurpose #HardWorkAndHeart

Exited Founder | Helping CEOs Scale, Protect Legacy, and Live Fully Beyond the Title I Entrepreneur

2013. Our credit application was denied for a new heating system.

I had to ask my oldest son for a loan. As his father, I was supposed to be providing for him, not the other way around.

The bank had moved us to their workout group. I hadn't taken a salary in over a year. We'd emptied our 401k and sold assets just to keep the doors open.

But the hardest part? Watching my kids sacrifice their dreams for our family's financial mess.

Two of our children chose military academies. Not because they felt called to serve initially, but because we couldn't afford college. Their options were limited because of my business decision to pivot AES from 2011-2016.

I still get emotional talking about what my wife and five kids gave up during those dark years. The travel we couldn't take. The experiences we had to skip. The choices after high school that got narrowed down.

Here's what I learned. Dark times always pass. Success is fragile. Take personal responsibility for your choices, even when others question them.

I chose to pivot our company because it was right for our customers. I owned every consequence. The $10 million to zero revenue overnight. The employee departures. The personal sacrifices.

Those failures taught me more than any success ever could. They made me grateful for what we rebuilt and more aware of what truly matters.

Fellow entrepreneurs currently in your own dark period, you're not alone. These struggles shape us into better leaders.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned from one of your failures?

#Entrepreneurship #VulnerableLeadership #SMBStruggles #Vistage

At 24, I started AES while raising five kids. For decades, work consumed everything—and building a valuable company demanded exactly that sacrifice.

Most advice about work-life balance comes from people who've never scaled a business. The hard truth? Your 20s and 30s as a founder aren't balanced. That's the season.

But here's what I wish I'd learned sooner: balance shifts if you build the right foundation. One practice changed everything: block family time first each January for the year, then protect it like your most important client meeting.

I didn't figure this out until after 50. Once I did, experiences with my family became planned investments, not leftover scraps.

P.S. Here we are on tiny Dursey Island in Ireland—reached only by a 1960s cable car swinging over the Atlantic. These moments became possible because I finally learned to plan for them.

What's one experience you want to protect time for in 2026—before work fills every gap?

A lioness walked within five feet of me — and it made me rethink work-life balance.

The Balance Between Business and Life Is Never Perfect


She walked right past our jeep.
Close enough to hear her breathing.

On safari in Botswana in 2023, I was struck by how the wild doesn’t separate “work” from “life.” For a lioness, it’s all one flow. Hunting, protecting, resting.

Entrepreneurs and business owners live in a similar rhythm. We may try to draw a line between business and personal life, but the truth is they are deeply connected.

Your energy, mindset, and choices in one area shape the other. A win at work changes your mood at home. Strain at home affects how you lead.

Ignore that reality and it will catch up to you.

How often do you stop to ask yourself if you are in balance or if one side is draining the other?

P.S. If you ever get the chance, a safari is a life-changing experience.

#LeadershipLessons #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessOwner

I had lawyers, accountants, and consultants — plenty of people who gave me answers.
But none of them ever asked me the one question that kept me up at night.

What I really needed was a true sounding board.

Not someone with a financial stake in the business.
Not a consultant, lawyer, or accountant who had my company as a client.
Not someone trying to fix my problem.
And definitely not someone who thought a good story was a substitute for a real question.

I needed someone curious.
Someone who didn’t flinch when things got messy.
Someone willing to push past my polished update and ask what was really going on.

The best coaches I’ve had did that.
They didn’t give answers.
They didn’t offer clichés.
They didn’t fill the silence.
They let me talk and they listened until something true finally came out.

I see it now, as a coach.
That’s what I was missing as a CEO.
Not advice. Not a strategy.
Just space — and someone brave enough to help me face the real issue.

Most business owners and CEOs under $50 million don’t lack ideas or opportunity.

They lack someone who helps them think clearly and honestly.

Who gives you that kind of space?

#CEOReflection #FounderLife #LeadershipMatters

🏌️♂️ "𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵."
— Scottie Scheffler, world #1 golfer with two Masters wins before 30.

That's the 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗰𝘆: believing the next goal will finally make you feel "enough." It rarely does.

I wish I could say I figured this out early. Years ago, in a peer group, a well-known speaker told me I'd lost my confidence. At first, I bristled. Then I realized something: I wasn't less confident. I'd just stopped chasing external validation. The scoreboard said I was successful, but I was finally asking what success actually meant to me.

After 36 years of building and eventually selling my company, then coaching other CEOs through the same journey, I've seen how easy it is to get caught chasing revenue milestones, company awards, market share, or the "perfect" exit.

Here's what I've learned: Burnout isn't from working too hard. It's from tying your worth to outcomes you can't fully control.

For me, the real fulfillment came from the process, the people, and the purpose, not the award.

What goal are you chasing, thinking it will finally make you feel 'enough'?

#Leadership #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwner

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦.

𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳?

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

When I was a younger founder, I was intense and always chasing the next win. I thought speed was my advantage. It was, but it came with a cost.

I didn't realize how often I missed what people were really saying. I was listening just enough to respond and give my opinion. Sometimes I even felt anxious for the conversation to end so I could get to the next task.

Everything shifted when I made curiosity their priority. A coach pushed me on this as we reviewed my conversations. For years, it became one of my top daily behaviors.

Instead of "How are you?" I started asking "What's one good thing that's happened in the last two weeks?" When someone shared an opinion, I'd follow with "What's the reason you say that?" allowing them to go deeper and not tempting myself to give a surface-level opinion back.

These aren't just nice conversations. They're how you uncover real problems, build trust, and make better decisions.

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱.

The shift over 10 years transformed my connections and conversations at work and with family and friends. Problems surfaced earlier. More direct conversations came faster. Connections deepened.

𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?

The most successful #entrepreneurs I know are also the most exhausted.

Earlier this year, I sat across from a #CEO in their office. They had just crossed $10 million in revenue.

'I thought it would get easier,' they said, staring out at the Lancaster countryside. I suspected their coffee had gone cold hours earlier.

It doesn't get easier. And that's actually the point.

Very few businesses ever hit $1M annually. Almost none reach $10M. The ones that do? They're run by people who've learned to find energy in the struggle itself.

After I had grown AES to $5 million, I learned this: Being a star employee doesn't prepare you for entrepreneurship. Different muscles entirely.

The sleepless nights when payroll is due. The decisions that sit heavy in your chest. Those 2 AM moments when you question everything you've built.

I watched this CEO straighten their shoulders as we talked. 'But I wouldn't trade it,' they finally said. 'Not for anything.'

Most people would be happier working for a great boss at a great company. And that's perfectly fine.

But if you're in the fight, if you've chosen this path, know this: The grind isn't a bug in the system. It's a feature.

What's one brutal truth about entrepreneurship that no one prepared you for?

#EntrepreneurshipJourney #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipLessons

A CEO in our peer group asked me recently: "How do I motivate my people?"

Honestly? I used to ask the same question in my early years as a founder. After 36 years of leading, I've learned that's the wrong question entirely.

The real work isn't about motivation. It's about building health, alignment, and transparency so motivation happens naturally.

At Applied Educational Systems, we hit the Inc. 5000 five years running (it took 31 years!). Not because I gave pep talks, but because people trusted each other enough to debate, disagree, and then commit together.

Patrick Lencioni calls it the temptation of harmony. Leaders avoid conflict because it feels easier. I learned the opposite. Healthy conflict unlocks clarity, and clarity drives results.

The key? Making sure opposing voices are heard and keeping debates focused on ideas, not personalities.

So here's my question for you: What truth is your team not saying out loud?

#Leadership #Vistage #CentralPA #Entrepreneurship

𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟱+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

Every interview focused on experience, credentials, and past results. I had scorecards. I had processes. I thought I was doing it right.

But I kept promoting B players who managed by following old playbooks.

Here's what I missed: 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆.

A-level knowledge workers ask "Why does this process suck?" and rebuild it better. A-level managers ask "What if we tried this differently?"

B players just follow broken systems and blame others when they fail.

At AES, our best managers weren't always the most experienced. They were the ones who asked thoughtful questions about our challenges, our customers, our team dynamics.

Meanwhile, my "perfect on paper" hires would manage exactly how they managed at their last company. They never questioned if our approach was working.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀.

For knowledge workers: Do they dig into problems or just implement solutions?

For managers: Do they ask about team challenges? Do they question current workflows and processes? Do they follow up with more questions instead of just nodding along?

Now as a CEO coach, I see this blind spot everywhere. We hire for past performance and wonder why we get leaders who just repeat what worked somewhere else.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?

#Leadership #Hiring #CEOCoaching

You know that team member who keeps missing deadlines? You've had "the talk" multiple times. Nothing changes. Here's what most leaders get wrong about accountability.

I learned this the hard way in my 20s and 30s as founder of AES.

Back then, I thought accountability meant "holding people responsible." When projects fell behind or expectations weren't met, I'd get frustrated and have those uncomfortable conversations after the fact.

But I was missing the point entirely.

I expected my team to "get it" without clear guidance. I lacked the practice, the reps, and frankly, the skills to engage in direct conversations about expectations and alignment. I thought good people should figure it out on their own.

I was wrong.

My responsibility wasn't to catch them failing, it was to help guide them to success from the start.

Here's what I discovered: We treat accountability like something we do TO people. "Hold them accountable." "There need to be consequences."

But real accountability isn't punishment. It's clarity.

Think about it. When someone drops the ball, what's usually happening? They don't know what's expected. They don't know they're falling short. They don't know how to course-correct.

We see the issues. We feel the tension. But the conversation feels uncomfortable. So we avoid it.

By the time we finally speak up, the problem is three times bigger than it needed to be.

This is a training problem. Not a people problem.

The best leaders I know focus on three things: Clear expectations upfront. Regular check-ins during work. Direct conversations when things slip.

They build accountability into the system. They don't wait to impose it after the fact.

Your job isn't to hold people accountable. The goal is to create an environment where accountability thrives naturally.

Because here's the truth: if there's an accountability issue in your company, look in the mirror first.

What conversations are you avoiding?

#Leadership #CEO #BusinessOwner #Management #TeamLeadership

Last weekend, old friends came to visit Sea Isle City. We decided to try something fun together a tiki cruise 🚢

Within minutes, it felt like no time had passed at all.

That's the power of real friendship. It picks up right where it left off.

Looking back on my 36-year entrepreneurial journey, I wasn't always present for moments like these. In my early years as a founder, I was consumed by the business. Every conversation, every gathering and my mind was elsewhere, solving problems, chasing growth.

I thought being "on" all the time was what success demanded.

I was wrong.

The best leaders I know now understand something I missed then. Being present isn't a luxury you earn after success. It's a choice you make along the way.

You can't have everything at once. But you can choose what deserves your attention in each season.

These friendships? They're not just nice to have. They're the foundation that keeps you grounded through the inevitable ups and downs of building something meaningful.

Fellow business owners: Where are you in your journey with being truly present? What would change if you chose connection over constant productivity today?

#Leadership #EntrepreneurLife #Vistage

You’ll never hear the word love in a leadership meeting.
Maybe that’s the problem.

As a founder, I obsessed over growth, strategy, and results.
I knew how to run a business.
I never once asked, How do I show love at work?

Marcus Buckingham defines love as a deep, unwavering commitment to someone’s flourishing.
That’s what trust looks like.
Yet most companies don’t design for it.
They don’t ask managers to build it.

Love looks like this:
“How do you feel about last week?”
No advice. Just listening.
Showing up with care, not control.
Getting clear on expectations before the handoff.

Love doesn’t mean soft. It means intentional.

We design everything else—org charts, tech stacks, processes, even break rooms.
What keeps you from designing for love?

#LeadershipDesign #TrustAtWork #IntentionalCulture

After 36 years of leading my company, I've realized something counterintuitive about leadership...

You don't really have strengths and weaknesses. You have traits. In one context, those traits are your advantage. In another, they can hold you back.

My obsession with perfection on the product and process side helped us build an industry-leading equipment software solution. It also meant we missed a major market shift because I refused to ship good enough product solutions and adapt to the messy process of rebuilding systems internally.

Over time, I learned to do a better job auditing my own traits. Every quarter, I would ask my direct reports and people close to me which behaviors had helped us the most in the last year and what one behavior had held me back.

This allowed me to continue focusing on my strengths and the behaviors that drove better outcomes while making me more self-aware of my blind spots.

The real work isn't labeling yourself strong or weak. It's putting yourself in contexts where your traits serve you, and building teams that balance out the rest.

What's one trait that's been both your superpower and your kryptonite?

Growth dies in silence. Your family company feels that sting when hard questions stay buried.

I’ve watched outside CEOs arrive with fresh ideas and grit. Months later, they stand like statues, frozen by unclear lines.

Owners still hold the reins yet seldom spell out what they expect. New leaders tiptoe, guessing where the invisible fences sit.

Teams sense the tension, whisper, and wait. Trust leaks faster than cash.

Only 12 % of family-owned firms survive to a third generation when roles stay fuzzy.
Clear rules and honest talks keep them alive.

So write down who decides what, share plain-language expectations, and meet every month to clear the air. Confront tension while it is tiny. Let owners own and leaders lead.

You can guard family bonds and free the business to grow.

What tough conversation would unlock momentum in your company today?

#FamilyBusiness #LeadershipClarity #CEOGrowth

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿?

I told myself that story for years too.

But here's what I discovered. Even our closest advisors like our teams and our families see what we show them. They can't always give us the unbiased truth we desperately need.

So where do you find that honest mirror?

You find it with other CEOs facing the same daily battles. Guided by someone who won't give you easy answers. Someone who asks the hard questions that cut straight to the real issues.

Who in your circle dares to challenge your thinking? Who pushes back when everyone else just nods along?

Maybe it's time to stop carrying the weight alone.

Ready to dig deeper than surface level tactics? Ready to discover what's really holding your business back?

#CentralPALeadership #CEOJourney #VistageChair

My son Austin stopped at mile seven.

He was running the Sea Isle City 10-miler last weekend. On pace for 1:13. But at mile seven, he stopped. Not for water. Not for rest.

For a hug from his wife and their 18-month-old.

He lost a few seconds. He gained something bigger.

Austin spent eight years in the Army. Routines, rules, clear mission. Then January 2025 hit. No more uniform. Just a new life journey waiting.

Now he's an account manager working with DoD clients. New field. Steep learning curve. He's not a soldier anymore. He's a beginner again.

I see this same thing with the CEOs I coach. Or maybe I recognize it because I've been there.

Successful founders who built something real. Now facing transitions that require them to start over in some ways. Market shifts that demand new thinking. Succession planning that forces hard questions about what comes next.

The business needs to adapt to stay sustainable. But here's what I learned from 36 years of building and exiting Applied Educational Systems, and now coaching other founders - I've lived this too.

I spent way too many years thinking the business timeline was the only timeline that mattered.

The best leaders pause for what matters most. They don't just think about business transitions. They think about life transitions. They ask themselves hard questions about what they actually want their days to look like after the next chapter unfolds.

Austin knew that hug mattered more than a few seconds on his time.

The CEOs who design their best exits know the same thing. I wish I had figured that out sooner.

Are your business transitions aligned with the life you actually want?

#Leadership #CEOLife #FounderJourney

The most dangerous leaders aren't the ones who fail.

They're the ones who succeed just enough to stop questioning themselves.

I see it constantly with CEOs and business owners. Early wins create blind spots. "We're different" becomes their shield against growth.

Here's what I've learned from coaching leaders who break through:

They stay uncomfortable on purpose. Success didn't make them comfortable; it made them curious about what they still don't know.

They collect people who challenge them. While others surround themselves with yes-people, they build a network designed to call them out.

They admit when they're stuck. Instead of pretending they have it figured out, they say "I don't know" and mean it.

They invest in their own development. They spend as much on growing themselves as they do on growing their business.

The leaders who scale past $5M don't have fewer problems. They have better questions.

And they're brave enough to ask for help finding the answers.

What's one leadership behavior you've witnessed that made you think "now that's how it's done"?

#Leadership #CEOCoaching #BusinessGrowth #Vistage

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