ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Manos Kalaitzoglou is the co-founder and CEO of Arcweave and is a Greek founder originally from Crete, Greece. Before becoming a founder, Manos studied architecture in the National Technical University of Athens, then switched to becoming a web designer as he was always fascinated by design, tech and storytelling. He worked with various startups in design lead and consultancy roles, which eventually led him to realise he and his teams were not efficient with the existing collaboration tools for interactive experiences. He founded Arcweave to help lower the bar of game design and development and allow everyone to take their first steps in this fascinating industry. 

Nick is a Co-Founder and Partner at Four Pillars, a Private Equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs and investors to purchase and operate lower middle-market businesses ($20M to $250M in sales) with an untapped potential for growth. Four Pillars isn't your typical PE firm. We take a relationship-first approach and aren’t about financial engineering or extreme cost-cutting. Instead, we leverage our experience as entrepreneurs to help grow companies in terms of revenues and employees.  So far, they have invested millions of dollars in seven businesses, including Southwest Steel Fabrication, the longest-operating steel fabricator in the Kansas City region, involved in projects like fencing around the White House and work on bridges and dams nationwide. To make these purchases, Four Pillars has worked with well known capital providers including Capital for Business (nearly $1 billion in portfolio company revenue) and Peninsula Capital ($2 billion in assets under management). Nick has 15+ years of experience as a private equity investor and is highly regarded in the PE community for his ability to find and invest in businesses that last far into the future. Over at Four Pillars, most of Nick's activities revolve around fundraising as well as deal origination and execution. He also runs a popular YouTube channel with over 250K+ views, where he regularly shares knowledge about the ins and outs of private equity investments with his growing audience of over 1,700 subscribers.  

Todd Stewart is President of Gulf Winds International. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.S. in Marketing and immediately joined Gulf Winds International in 1996. Beginning as a fork-lift operator, he has served within or led every department within the company, leading to his current position of President. Todd is primarily responsible for working with key stakeholders to establish and maintain a culture that reflects the mission, values and overall strategic "world class" vision for the organization. Through being an active C12 Group member, Todd Stewart continues to learn how Gulf Winds International is here to serve a greater purpose and holds strongly to the biblical servant leadership model that empowers team members to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. He is passionate about how the gospel of Christ can restore hope in local and global communities. In 2017, this led Todd to found More Than The Move Foundation which exists to aid life-changing non-profits such as International Cooperating Ministries, Steiger International and Ground Wire via corporate generosity, corporate volunteerism and corporate advocacy. Gulf Winds International, Inc. is a second-generation family-owned business that was founded in April 1996 near Port Houston. With a mission to glorify God by providing world-class logistics services through continual investment in people, clients, community and the world Gulf Winds continues to have a clear direction and a broad horizon. Two things that separate Gulf Winds from other logistics companies is its authentic core values and common sense business strategy. Driven by Values Gulf Winds is driven by values and those values are intentionally and continually instilled in every employee in the company.

John Clancy is the founding and managing member of Planet Fitness Midwest. PFMW currently has 50 stores throughout the Midwest and Southern United States. PFMW has an additional 10 stores currently under construction, with the rights to build another 15 stores. In 2015, PFMW was named “Franchisee of the Year” by Planet Fitness.  Mr. Clancy focuses on the real estate site selection, development, lease negotiations, marketing and financing. He sits on the Independent Franchise Association committee for real estate and development for the Planet Fitness franchise system.  Mr. Clancy is also the managing member of Smoothie King Midwest, a developer and operator of 30 Smoothie King units in NY, OH, KY, IN, and AL.  As the managing member of Cornerstone Properties, Mr. Clancy has developed a retail real estate portfolio valued in excess of $100 million with an additional $50 million currently under development.  Mr. Clancy serves in a board capacity for multiple non-profit organizations and charities that assist in spreading The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Clancy, his wife Regina, and their three children are active members of Christ Fellowship church. Mr. Clancy was born and raised in Massapequa NY. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York’s Business School at Plattsburgh.

Gonzalo Zubieta is a CEO, founder, and disruptive transformation expert with more than 15 years of experience in leadership and strategy consulting. He is the head of Emet Partners, a consulting firm that helps Fortune 100 companies redefine their value proposition, strategic design, and value chain creation. He has a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, a Certificate in Developmental Entrepreneurship from MIT, and a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School. As a speaker, mentor, angel investor, and advisor, Gonzalo is passionate about transforming the lives of those who lead organizations. He has worked with CEOs and executive teams in various sectors, enabling them to increase their competitive edge, improve their corporate climate, and foster a culture of honor in their organizations. He is also a recognized resource and facilitator for YPO, a global network of young business leaders. He has published a book on the analysis behind the trap of choosing the "right" decisions and speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and French.

For over three decades, Corey has been engaged in the global world of direct selling. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Japan, China, Australia and, of course, the United States, solving complex business issues. Corey has worked in senior C-level positions for two billion dollar-plus consumer product companies that market products through direct selling–one being doTERRA. Developing competent and loyal teams has been the hallmark of Corey’s professional career. He holds a BS degree in accounting and an MBA degree, and began his professional career in 1987 working for one of the world’s largest public accounting firms prior to beginning work in the direct selling world in 1990. He loves all sports, especially golf, but Corey is quick to point out that his favorite pastime is being with his amazing wife, Janis, along with his eight children and their families including 20 grandchildren doing whatever it is that they want to do. About doTERRA: doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes pure essential oils and natural wellness products to over nine million Wellness Advocates and customers. Our products are shipped to 86 countries and counting. Through industry-leading, responsible sourcing practices—Co-Impact Sourcing®—doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity, and sustainability in partnerships with local growers around the globe. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation®, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers resources and tools to sourcing communities and charitable organizations, raising self-reliance, increasing access to healthcare, promoting education, advancing sanitation, and fighting against human trafficking. With our social impact mission to triple our impact by 2030, doTERRA is helping the world heal—one drop, one person, one community at a time. To offer everyone the best personal essential oil education and experiences around the world, doTERRA uses the power of people via our modernized direct selling model. This approach allows distributors to work with customers, which allows people to learn about and experience essential oils from somebody they know and trust. This model also creates the opportunity for individuals and families to achieve their dreams of self-reliance. Over three million Wellness Advocates now use and sell doTERRA products around the world.  

Ray Higdon is the CEO of the Higdon Group. Ray shows Network Marketers how to Grow their Team, Skills & Profits with Simple Faith Driven Strategies. Since 2017 Ray has helped sales teams generate over 300,000 new customers and recruit over 70,000 new sales reps. Ray has shared the stage with world renowned thought leaders, including Tony Robbins, Rachel Hollis, Les Brown, Brendon Burchard, Robert Kiyosaki, Bob Proctor, Gary Vaynerchuk, Grant Cardone, Magic Johnson and many more. Ray is currently co-mentoring with best-selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell in the Higdon Maxwell Mentorship Program, an elite mastermind group for high achievers. Ray's podcast, Home Business Profits, has over 10 million downloads and his company, the Higdon Group, has been recognized as an Inc 5000 company, and hosts live and virtual events where thousands of people gain knowledge and sharpen their skills every year. Please note: some listeners might find some of the details in this episode difficult. 

Tony Martignetti is a trusted advisor, leadership coach & facilitator, best-selling author, podcast host, and speaker. He brings together over 25 years of business and leadership experience and extreme curiosity to elevate leaders and equip them with the tools to navigate through change and unlock their true potential. He has been recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the Top 10 Leadership Coaches and by LeadersHum as one of the Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.  Before becoming the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Inspired Purpose Partners, Tony was a finance and strategy executive with experience working with some of the world's leading life sciences companies. Along his journey, he also managed small businesses and ran a financial consulting company.  Tony hosts The Virtual Campfire podcast and is the author of "Climbing the Right Mountain: Navigating the Journey to An Inspired Life" and the co-author of "Secrets of Next-Level Entrepreneurs." He has been featured in many publications, including Fast Company, Forbes, Life Science Leader, and CEO Today.

Justin Roethlingshoefer centers his performance-enhancing programs on a holistically integrated approach to health and performance. His core philosophy is that performance is realized when health is optimized and we cannot separate physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.  He is the co-founder of Own It Coaching, a multiple seven-figure coaching company that applies this health and performance philosophy to clients ranging from NHL stars, to Fortune 500 executives, to entrepreneurs looking to take that next step and level up. He’s also the creator of the Own It App, which provides simple data collection, meaningful insights, and personalized plans to help users OWN their habits and improve recovery, health, and performance. Justin has spoken at dozens of events, including the TEDx stage. He’s the host of the Sports Science and Recovery Podcast and The Own It Show. Additionally, Justin is the author of three books (Amazon bestsellers), including Intent: A Practical Approach to Applied Sports Science for Athletic Development and Own It.  Whether in his coaching, writing, or speaking, Justin is well-regarded for his ability to take complex scientific topics and distill them into practical, applicable action steps. He has a rare combination of the ability to understand the science of sports performance, sleep, and recovery on a deep level, while being able to translate and distill the complex topics into a form others can actually use.

Chad Jenkins is the President & CEO of SeedSpark. Chad's bio: I bring a distinctive blend of attentive listening, curiosity, and strategic principles to the forefront of business innovation. My mission lies in the relentless pursuit of that elusive 'secret sauce' that drives businesses to soaring heights of growth and prosperity. Horses were my initial foray into the world of business, instilling the foundational lesson of non-verbal communication and cooperation. The lessons learned from equine entrepreneurship naturally extended to my landscaping business in middle school, which flourished for some time before I sold it to focus on a rapidly expanding new venture. The success of these ventures in my younger years was a practical application of what would later become the Growth FlyWheel principles™. By 21, I became part of a revolutionary retail concept in partnership with Purina — America's Country Store. My role there segued into a pivotal alliance with Nextel Communications, where the applications of my unique methodologies pushed me to become the top distributor in the Carolinas within just eighteen months. It was through observing the friction customers experienced with billing that I spotted another opportunity — a service to rectify billing inaccuracies, saving my clients millions and securing a substantial competitive edge. My success at Nextel Communications propelled me into the software domain with the inception of SeedSpark, a venture dedicated to equipping clients with strategic advantages. Today, SeedSpark stands as my primary venture, fostering partnerships and providing services that embody the very principles of my successful entrepreneurial blueprint. At the core of my SeedSpark Growth FlyWheel™ approach exist three frameworks: 🔵 Remove the FILM™: A strategy that peels back layers of inefficiency to reveal a clear path to improvement. 🔵 Just Add A Zero™: An audacious goal-setting tactic that propels businesses toward ambitious growth. 🔵 100X Collaborations™: Leveraging partnerships to amplify impact and reach exponential success. This triad of principles has proven transformative as I collaborate with industry leaders to identify and capitalize on growth opportunities, overcome barriers, and create formidable competitive advantages. With a vision that goes beyond conventional business wisdom, I am humbled to be a catalyst for change, growth, and innovation in the entrepreneurial world.