Jay Goltz

Ted Wolf, CEO of an AI implementation firm, Jay Goltz, veteran Chicago entrepreneur, and David C. Barnett, business broker and advisor, discuss how rapid AI adoption, rising energy and tariff risks, lenders demanding AI plans, and sales-tax surprises are reshaping owner decisions. They explore quick-payback tech investments, lending risk shifts, and spotting opportunities when competitors falter.

Ted Wolf, CEO of GuideWise, brings AI and metrics-driven management; Jennifer Kerhin, CEO of SB Expos and Events, shares hands-on staffing and service leadership; Jay Goltz, serial entrepreneur, offers decades of small-business management. They debate when high standards slip into toxic behavior. Short, candid takes on yelling, hiring versus systems, handling brilliant jerks, and knowing when to let people go.

Join Jay Goltz, a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO of The Goltz Group, David C. Barnett, a business broker and advisor from Canada, and Kate Morgan, CEO of Boston Human Capital Partners. They dive into the struggle of crafting employee career paths while staying true to company goals. Jay highlights the importance of letting employees experiment, while David warns that businesses risk obsolescence without evolution. Kate shares her experiences of stress during rapid growth, touching on employee retention and the art of thorough onboarding.

David C. Barnett, a business acquisition expert, joins Jay Goltz, a Chicago-based CEO, and Lena McGuire, a remodeling innovator, to discuss the tricky world of hiring coaches. They debate the importance of coaches having industry-specific knowledge and personal success. Jay hilariously critiques unqualified coaches in his industry while Lena shares how transformative good coaching can be. The trio also laughs about Jay's whimsical idea of opening a pizza shop, blending personal anecdotes with key insights on business growth and support networks.

John Abrams, a seasoned founder, author, and advocate for sustainable business practices, joins Mel Gravely and Jay Goltz, leaders in the construction industry, for an engaging discussion on employee ownership models. They explore strategies to avoid disastrous private equity sales and share insights on why there are so few employee-owned businesses. The trio dives into the nuances of ESOPs versus co-ops, addressing both potential benefits and challenges. Their candid conversation highlights the importance of succession planning while keeping business values intact.