Strategic Growth for Leaders: 10 Success Keys to Elevate You to the Next Level

Deborah Froese is on a mission: to spark change through the power of story. An award-winning fiction author with a broad portfolio of published nonfiction to her credit, Deborah has been working for more than 20 years as an editor and story coach with writers who share her passion. The For Leaders series is a particular delight; she views it as an extended series of tools and inspiration for changing the world through business.

Kelly Babcock lives in the Columbus, Ohio area where she is a labor and employment lawyer representing Ohio public sector clients in various HR matters. She recently transitioned to a full-time Training Director role for the statewide firm and sits on the board of directors. Kelly is passionate about helping people overcome stress, burnout, and other mental health and addiction issues with natural, holistic practices. As a result of her research and personal journey, Kelly became a licensed hemp (CBD/CBG) cultivator in 2020 in Ohio.

With six-figure follower counts each on LinkedIn and Instagram, and a five-figure following on YouTube, Ira Bowman knows the online digital world. Since June 2020, with the launch of his business, Bowman Digital Media, Ira focuses on increasing visibility for his clients on social media and increasing their website traffic. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University. Ira currently lives in Southern California, just outside Los Angeles with his wife of 20-plus years and their eight children.

Carol is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author, stuntwoman, actress, and mother of two adult boys. Her unconventional upbringing has given her a unique insight into how she views the world. A first-generation female born in the United States to immigrant parents from Taiwan, Carol grew up experiencing both cultures, speaking both English and Taiwanese and active as both Presbyterian and Buddhist. It is with this perspective she’s built successful businesses: Carol is the Founder of MotoVixens, Managing Partner of Iron Dog Media, and co-host of the Titan Evolution Podcast. She has a signature line of products, a reality show, and executive producer of an upcoming movie, The Strange.

During a career spanning more than 30 years, Cynthia Davis reached the highest echelons of leadership in highly respected organizations including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Bausch & Lomb. She co-created one of the most unconventional and successful consulting, training, and business advisory firms, Radiant Blue, LLC. As a highly sought-after executive advisor, Cynthia’s work with entrepreneurs and business leaders navigates the challenges of business growth, personal and business transitions, cultural change and transformation, and readying their teams for mission success.

Tom Finn is the Co-Founder of LeggUP, a professional development organization and host of The Talent Empowerment Podcast. He offers committed, capable, bold leadership that inspires and uplifts the global community. Dedicated to helping leaders figure out how to deliver productivity and well-being in the workplace, he has a mission to improve the culture of organizations, which ultimately improves our global community.

Dan Grech is the founder and CEO of BizHack Academy, whose mission is to give small business owners a simpler way to grow. Dan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former NPR and PBS journalist turned entrepreneur and educator, and he carries forward a family legacy of teaching and coaching. Past career highlights include serving as the head of marketing at two software startups and the nation’s largest Hispanic-owned energy company; working as a correspondent for NPR’s Marketplace, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, and The Miami Herald; and being an instructor at Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Miami. Dan is a graduate of Princeton University, has two master’s degrees, and was a Fulbright scholar. He lives in Miami with his wife, Gretchen Beesing, and two children.

River Jack (aka River Chau) is a writer and talker of internet things, social media culture, and being a creative in digital times. Her background in creative writing, digital communication, film and video production, and publishing drives her passions. River is an advocate for creatives carving their own path and finding their authentic voice. She brings her aptitude for storytelling and navigating the digital age to her role as the Publication Director at Indigo River Publishing in an ever-evolving industry.

Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Liz Lathan, certified meeting professional (CMP), has shared her skills through stints at multiple Fortune 50 companies. She is the founder of several companies in the event space and currently runs The Community Factory with business partner Nicole Osibodu. Together, they are revolutionizing the way participants engage at events through their Spontaneous Think Tank format for peer-to-peer engagement. Liz also runs their two proprietary communities, Club Ichi for B2B event marketers and Team CMO for heads of marketing

Megan McInnis has worked with small, medium, and large nonprofits for over 20 years. She founded Doing Good, the 501c3 nonprofit which provides agencies marketing and public relations tools and opportunities to share their volunteer stories. This B2B nonprofit serves nationwide and is 100% remote. Doing Good celebrates those who do good! McInnis also teaches nonprofit management graduate courses and was awarded The President’s Volunteer Service Award for the United States of America. Plus, she owns The Consultancy which serves those who serve others. She proudly lives in The Volunteer State of Tennessee.

Nicole Osibodu loves to play the game, “You know what would be really fun?” For the past 20-plus years, Nicole has used this question and parlayed her intuitive talent to engage and inspire people into building relationships that transcend business. With her business partner, Liz Lathan, she created a company based on creating these connections. The Community Factory is her shining example of how strangers become friends and how friends become family—and it proves that profitable relationships benefit everyone.

David Peters is the Founder and Owner of Peters Professional Education (petersprofessionaleducation.com) and Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting, PC. He is also a financial advisor for CFO Capital Management. He has over 15 years of experience in financial services, including three years in the hedge fund industry and six years in the insurance industry. In addition to running his own professional education website, David regularly teaches courses in accounting, finance, insurance, financial planning, and ethics throughout the United States.

Dan Vega started his first business at 19 and has been writing and speaking in the field of business ever since. He has achieved success in several careers including sales, marketing, management, corporate restructuring, and consulting.

Dan is one of the top experts in the country assisting companies secure funding. He now holds ownership in several successful companies and is personally invested in several spaces in the market including film and television, technology, health, environmental, spirits, art, and fashion.

• Publisher: Indigo River Publishing (September 24, 2024)
• Length: 176 pages