ChairWaves

When you meet Brant Houston, the first thing you need to know is that his name is pronounced “House-ton” and not “Hue-ston” like the city. But if you meet Brant Houston, you’ll likely be in or adjacent to Houston because that’s where he lives and where the Vistage Chief Executive group that he has chaired for a decade is based. Brant has great stories and a lot of wisdom. He’s going to tell you how he became successful with a digit...

According to Central Wisconsin Vistage Chair, Bridget Wenman, good news travels fast. That would explain how an area that only had one Vistage peer group for 30 years exploded to six in the past decade. In 10 years she has added four Chief Executive groups, one Key Executive group, and one Advancing Leaders group to a vibrant and close knit community. Bridget draws on her childhood experiences, as the youngest of 15 children, and t...

What is it that makes businesses successful? According to Hershey, PA Vistage Chair, Kirsten Yurich, it is both the head and the heart. Being technically accurate can only get you so far, after that it is the human connection that gets you across the finish line. Kirsten wasn’t formally educated in leadership, she learned while on the job. As a board certified behavioral analyst, she worked her way up to become a CEO and now has mu...

Raleigh, NC area Vistage Chair, Chris Quinn and his wife, Ana, are taking “family business” to the next level. As Co-Chairs of 12 groups with nearly 200 members, Chris describes their teamwork as ideal, with him being the visionary and Ana being the implementor. Together they not only lead their groups, but also help other Vistage Chairs with business development and recruiting. Their two adult sons, now members of an Emerging Lead...

Anyone can get FOMO. Even longtime CEOs who have completed multiple exit strategies. Just ask Dallas/Ft. Worth area Vistage Chair, Dwain Farley. Having never heard of CEO level peer groups, Farley was first introduced to them when he was recruited to be a Chair, and suddenly wondered what his career would have been like if he had been part of a peer group. Six years and three groups later, this former IT guy finds himself creating ...

As the youngest of 10 siblings, Jesse DePriest learned early on about “good, productive conflict,” especially when it came to working on the family dairy farm in Alaska. Years of collaboration and teamwork helped him as he transitioned into his time in the Army, first as a helicopter pilot and then as an officer in aviation leading others. After completing his service, and moving into the private sector to work in Industrial Engine...

Nashville native, but also first generation American, Rod Thurley learned that he had a gift for talking and selling while attending college in Tennessee. He used those skills while working in the automotive industry and then when he transitioned into the RV industry. Six months after starting work at an RV dealership, at just 31-years-old, he bought the business and dedicated himself to running it for the next two decades. During ...

Bloomington, IN Vistage Chair, David Quick’s life changed one day while eating lunch in the “middle of nowhere.” That day, he met with a Master Vistage Chair and was inspired to take his career in a new direction. After serving in the Navy and then having three different CEO gigs by the age of 42, David was wondering “now what?” He says he can’t remember if he found Vistage or Vistage found him, but either way it was a match and fo...

Inspirational. Hard-working. Fearless. Just a few of the words I would use to describe THE Pete Thomas. Based in Ann Arbor, Pete’s first group launched in January of 2025, but his story didn’t start out in Michigan. As a child, he lived in 13 cities in his first 13 years, experiencing a lot of hardship during those early days. At 13 years-old, that all changed, and Pete was ready for it. An avid reader with a love of learning, Pete...

On this week’s episode of ChairWaves I spoke with cross-town Vistage Chair, Dan Hogan. Dan chairs two groups in the Denver metro area, one of which he co-chairs with previous podcast guest, Karen Kemerling PhD. Our chat covered everything from his transition to Vistage after 25 years in the corporate sector, his varying roles in Vistage, what inspires him when working with business leaders and CEOs, the idea of diverse perspectives...

It’s more than an art, it’s a business. As the former founder of three tech start-up companies, two with successful exit strategies, Colorado Chair David Lyon knows all about the business side of Vistage and what it takes to run a successful group (or two). But, there have been a lot of surprises along the way. David claims that he learned more from his failed venture than his two profitable ones and despite his talent for building...

Leading comes naturally to St. Louis, MO area Vistage Chair, Linda Goldstein. From running a family business to running the business of a town, this former Mayor believes strongly in building up those around her in order to strengthen the community as a whole. Sitting outside, in a neighborhood park, Linda met with prospective members to form her first group during the height of the pandemic. And it was during that time, when many ...

Working as a Vistage Chair can be a humbling experience. According to Cincinnati, Ohio Chair Peg Moertl, forming her Chief Executive (CE) group ranks only below child rearing on the difficulty scale. As a former CEO and longtime economic business development specialist, Peg was used to getting way more yeses than nos. But doing anything worthwhile means doing it right, and today Peg’s group has bonded together through their diversi...

Colorado native Catherine Wicklund is the type of person that people want to know and work with. So it’s not surprising that several members of her Vistage group fly in from out-of-state every month to attend her meetings. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, Catherine is a veteran in the world of leadership development and executive coaching, having both the experience and the certifications to back it up. Not only do her members benefi...

Chuck Alvey is a man of many talents, from having a successful career in broadcast media that spanned three decades to saving lives as a part time EMT to being the CEO of a non profit organization focused on economic development. Despite that, he claims he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Luckily for Vistage, and the multiple groups that he chairs in the Reno, NV area, he is still trying to figure it out. Wh...

If knowledge is power then Ozzie Gontang is one powerful man. From the lessons of Socrates to modern Nobel Prize winners and everything in between, Ozzie — a peer group facilitator since 1986 — uses his knowledge to help others become better leaders and better human beings. No longer chairing groups of his own, he now is a leading resource for all Vistage Chairs who are looking to learn and grow in their own roles. A few gems from ...

Vistage members aren’t the only ones learning and growing from their time in peer groups. Some of the biggest changes happen with those leading the groups, that is, if they have the patience to stick it out. St. Louis, MO Chair, Jeff Hindman has been leading groups since 2009, and is the true definition of perseverance and determination. Starting his first group during the Great Recession was not ideal, but it didn’t stop Jeff, and...

Let’s admit it, some of us are just inherently more interesting than the rest of us. Such is the case with my most recent guest on ChairWaves, former advertising and public relations professional, Artie Isaac. Besides the fact that he chairs the most diverse array of groups, from a Chief Executive Group, to a Small Business Group, to an Insidel Group, and several others, he is also a deep thinker, poet, and according to his website...

Did you know that being part of a dynamic peer group can extend your life? Ok, it hasn’t been statistically proven, yet. But, according to longtime Vistage Chair, Norma Rosenberg, it certainly has had a positive impact on the quality of her life, leading to what she believes is a longer, healthier, happier life. Growing up in Baltimore, she had a front row seat to neighborhood and community integration and that inspired her to be a...