CONVERSATIONS WITH EXECUTIVES

What if stepping back could actually move your business forward? In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek sits down with John Martin, Chairman of FlutterBee Education Group, for an interesting conversation on how selling a minority stake in his company became the catalyst for compounding value, faster growth, and greater fulfillment.

John’s thoughtful and purposeful journey into recapitalization is a must-hear for any founder considering private equity.

From choosing the right advisor to navigate the deal process to the selection considerations, John shares what he learned—and what surprised him most—about giving up some control to gain long-term value.

This conversation goes beyond dollars and deals. It’s about building something bigger, staying true to your vision, and finding joy in the evolution of your business.If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t grow this alone,” or wondered how to get your business to the next level, this conversation will hit home.

What does it take to build a company where culture isn’t just talked about—but lived at every level?

In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek sits down with Travis Peterson, Founder and CEO of Snap Install, to explore how intentional culture can drive performance, loyalty, and long-term growth.  From his early experience in a toxic workplace to starting his own business to building a team of over 150 employees and 1,200+ contractors, Travis shares candid lessons on hiring for fit with the company, leadership, and staying connected as a founder, even as the company scales.

Having evolved from operator to visionary, you’ll hear why he still interviews every candidate, attends team meetings just to listen, and stands behind a “no-asshole policy”— and, most importantly, why culture at Snap Install isn’t about being perfect, but about being intentional.

Thought leadership isn’t just for Fortune 500 executives. It’s for any CEO with expertise, passion, and a story to tell.

In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek talks with Alexis Walsko—founder and CEO of Lola Red, a Minneapolis-based PR firm—about how thought leadership can amplify your brand and elevate middle-market companies in surprising ways.

From launching a PR agency at 22 to shaping messaging strategies for B2C and B2B brands alike, Alexis brings real stories and sharp insight on leading with visibility, voice, and values. You’ll also learn where to start (hint: LinkedIn), why your influence matters more than you think, and what kombucha, Kyle Rudolph, and Parts Town have in common.

The Twin Cities are an EOS hotbed with many companies using or considering the Entrepreneurial Operating System, aka Traction, to help accelerate growth.

In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek sits down with Brent Lau, Partner, COO, and CFO at Medina Electric to dive into the transformative power of EOS and its impact on Medina Electric’s business growth, leadership alignment, and customer strategy.  Brent explains how Medina actively uses the Vision/Traction Organizer (VTO) as a roadmap, ensuring that every team member—from leadership to new hires—understands the company’s vision, values, and goals.

They also dig into how EOS not only helped get the right people in the right seats but also to attract talent; how it instilled accountability throughout the company; guided decisions about their customer portfolio; and why hiring an EOS implementer was a game-changer.

In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek sits down with Adam Berry, CEO of Summit Orthopedics. With orthopedic facilities popping up at a rapid pace in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, Adam shares how Summit is carving out its unique niche in this crowded and competitive market.  Get a rare view of the fast-moving world of orthopedic care and discover the strategic game plan that has accelerated Summit Orthopedics’ growth.

Adam dives into the demographics driving investment and the critical decision-making process behind both building and closing locations. He provides some intriguing perspectives on how Summit strategically places its facilities, innovates patient care, and differentiates its orthopedic care.

AI is everywhere in our lives and changing every day.  This is a hot topic for every leader.  In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, host Scott Sustacek goes overtime with Andrew Fernholz, CEO of Ambient Consulting in exploring the ways lower middle market companies can leverage AI.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Andrew shares his experience with the transformative power of AI. We discuss the best ways for CEOs to begin, and we start by talking about the ‘why’ and how it can help your team or customers.  Andrew shares his insights on how AI is not about replacing jobs but reshaping the work we do – improving efficiencies, enhancing engagement, and boosting effectiveness.   We then venture into building a differentiated strategy. We get deep into leveraging AI to improve efficiency in hiring and employee retention, from the possibility of shifting from traditional credentials to competency-based hiring to upskilling employees to stay competitive.  It is all fascinating stuff!

This episode of CEO  2 CEO explores an incredibly unique transaction between a seller with a vision of the outcome he wanted and a buyer with a vision of how he would begin his own entrepreneurial journey.

Host Scott Sustacek met with Jeff Chanen, the former owner of the Maintenance Team, and Kai Milota, the current owner and CEO, to discuss their long, deliberate ownership transition and build a collective vision for this transaction and the Maintenance Team’s legacy.

They share the ups and downs of navigating a business sale—from establishing trust and managing last-minute surprises to staying calm under pressure. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of the challenges and triumphs, the boundaries and concessions, the post-sale dynamics, and their long-standing friendship.

Selling your company is, without question, an epic event.  It can bring stress, uncertainty, and the full gamut of emotions that go along with letting go of a significant part of your life.

In this episode, I talk with a long-time friend, Jaime Harris, who sold his company, Hydra-Flex, in the middle of a great growth run.  Jaime reveals how he scaled his business from a two-person startup to a $40 million enterprise.  His strategic mindset focused on scalability, developing a strong leadership team, and having the right systems and metrics in place to thrive.

The conversation with Jaime reveals how being prepared allowed him to close a deal in just 27 days and reward his team for a successful transaction.

In this episode of CEO 2 CEO, I had the opportunity to talk with Bob Freytag, the CEO of Introworks, about branding.  When people use the term ‘branding’, I think of the true meaning of what a brand is and how building a truly differentiated brand can be the catalyst in changing your organization.  Brand is about the stories you have created where you have helped customers in a unique way.  It’s not just the product, service, or the social media posts.  It is how you live your brand in every interaction with your stakeholders – employees, customers, vendors – that builds the essence of your brand.

Bob talks about great brands that have three common traits:

✔They are emotional: they appeal on a higher level that compels you.

✔They are simple: while products and services can be complex, the result they deliver needs to be conveyed with simplicity.

✔They are remarkable: In the minds of a customer, a brand is different from all the others.

He takes you through the thinking you can do concerning your brand and how to bring it to life in the eyes and hearts of your customers.

In this episode, I talk with Karen Kleinhans, CEO of Community Dental Care, about change management.  Karen candidly shares her experience tackling the challenges she inherited and orchestrating a profound shift in her organization’s culture and results.

We explore how an organization can perceive its circumstances through a biased lens, overlooking harsh realities. Karen’s data-driven approach, peeling away opinions and conjectures, enabled her to convince both her board and her team of the business realities Community Dental faced.

Through her determination to overcome the company’s inertia, she led them to a stronger financial footing and future.  Whether you’re in the midst of change or contemplating its necessity for sustainability or growth, you will find this episode invaluable.