The CEO Project Podcast

If mastering negotiation could instantly increase your business worth, how differently would you handle your next deal?
You negotiate every day—whether you call it that or not. From acquisition offers and partnership terms to real estate, compensation, and vendor contracts, you're constantly shaping outcomes that affect your company's growth and long-term business worth. The problem? Most leaders treat negotiation like a tug-of-war over price. In this episode, you'll learn why mastering negotiation is really about leverage, psychology, timing, and knowing when to walk away.
By listening, you'll gain:
A smarter framework for mastering negotiation that goes beyond price and focuses on leverage, certainty, and deal structure

Proven tactics like "never go first," strategic silence, and the flinch to strengthen your position without creating conflict

A clearer understanding of motivation and timing so you can spot desperation, avoid overpaying, and protect your business worth

Press play now to sharpen your negotiation edge—and make your next deal one that compounds your business worth instead of quietly eroding it.
Check out:
07:45 – Leverage Changes Everything A practical breakdown of how leverage actually works in real deals—foreclosures, timing pressure, experience, and certainty of close—and why price is rarely the most important factor.

18:30 – The Power of Walking Away A sharp discussion on why the best negotiators are willing to walk, how desperation shifts leverage, and why "who comes back first" often determines who really has the power.

29:10 – The Flinch, Silence & Controlling the Pen Tactical gold: how to use silence to make the other party negotiate against themselves—and why drafting the agreement gives you structural control over the deal.

About Onyi Odunukwe
Onyi Odunukwe is CEO of Glo Tanning Centers, Inc. His specialties are:
Marshaling limited resources to the most productive uses with the aim of creating maximum value for the company's stakeholders.
Developing and cascading the organization's strategy/mission statement to the lower-ranking staff, and implementing appropriate rewards/recognition and coaching/corrective practices to align personnel with company goals.
Planning by prioritizing customer, employee, and organizational requirements.
Maintaining and monitoring staffing, levels, Knowledge-Skills-Attributes (KSA), expectations and motivation to fulfill organizational requirements.
Driving performance measures for the operation (including a consideration of efficiency versus effectiveness), often in the form of dashboards convenient for review of high level key indicators

What if improving front line performance—not more marketing or new leads—was the fastest way to grow your business worth?
If you're feeling pressure to grow revenue while controlling costs, this episode speaks straight to that tension. You'll hear how leaders in hospitality use front line performance, personalization, and smart systems to capture revenue that's already there—while creating better customer experiences and stronger loyalty. The same thinking applies to any business with customer-facing teams and real growth goals.
What you'll gain from listening:
How front line performance directly impacts revenue and loyalty, without turning your team into pushy salespeople

What it really takes to evolve from a services model to SaaS, while keeping your culture and your people intact

Where AI disruption actually adds value today, helping managers coach better and make faster, data-driven decisions

Play the episode to spot practical front line performance ideas you can use right now to increase revenue and strengthen your business worth.
Check out:
~10:30 – Unlocking revenue through front line performance Where the conversation digs into how connecting frontline teams to real guest needs drives incremental revenue without hurting the experience—and why this applies far beyond hospitality.

~28:00 – AI disruption that actually works at the front line A practical discussion on how AI is being used to analyze performance data, deliver coaching insights, and improve results—without replacing people or overcomplicating the system.

~44:00 – The real challenge of moving from services to SaaS A candid breakdown of the cultural and identity shifts required to transition from a services model to SaaS, including what leaders often underestimate and how to bring the team along.

About Geoffrey Toffetti
Geoffrey Toffetti is the CEO of Frontline Performance Group (FPG), based in Florida. The firm partners with over 2,500 hotels across 120+ countries, helping them drive millions in incremental revenue. His personal journey in hospitality started humbly, as a car valet at a Florida hotel.
Today, Geoffrey leads FPG, where they work with top brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt, among others. He has guided the company through strategic growth, including the acquisitions of the company's primary competitors—Drake Beil in the U.S. and TSA Solutions in Asia, the latter during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. 
Geoffrey can share insights on conversion from a services business to SaaS, global expansion, leading a remote workforce, how leaders can build resilience by making bold yet calculated decisions, staying agile in unpredictable markets, and building a corporate tribe rather than a team. FPG is always pushing forward and he excited to say their next bold move is just around the corner.

Is your business worth more than your physical inventory… because of the digital assets you don't even realize you own?
If you're like most CEOs, you've delegated websites, domains, ad accounts, logins, and even AI tools to other people—and assumed everything was automatically "yours." But this episode is a wake-up call: your digital assets are some of the most valuable (and vulnerable) parts of your business, and losing control of them can create chaos during growth, vendor changes, or a future sale.
Paige Wiese breaks down how to protect what you've built before it becomes a costly blind spot.
By listening, you'll walk away with:
A clearer understanding of what counts as critical digital assets—from domains and hosting to analytics, SaaS tools, and intellectual property

Practical questions to ask vendors and agencies so you don't get locked out of accounts you paid for

A smarter way to prepare your company for scaling, exiting, or AI disruption by organizing and safeguarding your digital footprint

Hit play now to learn how protecting your digital assets today can increase your business worth tomorrow—and save you from painful surprises later.
Check out:
5:40 – The most important questions to ask before hiring an agency Paige explains how CEOs can avoid losing ownership of domains, ad accounts, and logins right from the start.

12:15 – The hidden danger of email and asset transfer during an exit or sale A practical discussion on why business emails, history, and contacts become a major issue when transitioning ownership.

21:30 – How AI tools are becoming the newest digital asset risk Paige shares why companies need policies around AI accounts now—before employees unknowingly train tools on proprietary data.

About Paige Wiese
Paige Wiese (W-ee-s) is the founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, a top-ranked Denver-based marketing agency that develops high performance websites and digital marketing strategies for businesses nationwide. Under her leadership, Tree Ring Digital has helped thousands of businesses across industries streamline their online presence, protect their digital assets, and achieve healthy growth through data-driven marketing strategies.
During her sixteen years in the industry, Paige realized that digital asset management often exists in a knowledge silo, leaving companies unprepared for growth or transition. This led her to develop a proprietary digital asset management service that tracks and protects a company's crucial data points, protecting brands and maintaining legacies.

Are your current growth strategies actually increasing your business worth—or are hidden constraints quietly keeping you stuck as your company scales?
If you're feeling stretched thin, hitting growth ceilings, or wondering why scaling feels harder than it should—this episode is for you. Carl Gould breaks down the real stages of business growth and the predictable pinch points that trip up founders, especially as AI disruption accelerates change and raises the bar for how companies scale, systemize, and create long-term value.
By listening, you'll walk away with:
A clear framework for identifying exactly where your business is stuck—and what that says about your next growth move

Practical insight into how to shift from founder-driven hustle to scalable systems without killing momentum

A sharper understanding of how to build a company that's not just growing, but increasing in enterprise value and exit readiness

Hit play now and steal proven growth strategies that help you scale smarter, protect your time, and build a business that's actually worth more at every stage.
Check out:
[~12:30] – Carl explains why most founders get stuck in Stage 3 and how ego and control quietly cap business growth

[~28:45] – A clear breakdown of systems vs. flexibility—and why consistency (not creativity) is what actually scales companies

[~47:10] – The moment your business becomes a true asset, including the leadership shifts that dramatically increase business worth

About Carl Gould
Carl Gould is a globally recognized authority on business growth and entrepreneurship who built three multi-million-dollar companies by age 40. He is the Chief Growth Advisor at 7 Stage Advisors and has mentored the launch and scaling of over 5,000 businesses, with his methodologies now used in 35 countries and by more than 7,000 certified coaches worldwide. A multi-award-winning author and speaker, Carl co-authored Blueprint for Success with Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard and wrote the bestselling The 7 Stages of Small Business Success. Known for his high-energy, real-world approach, he has delivered over 1,200 keynote speeches and lectures at institutions including MIT and Rutgers.

Is your business worth more when AI writes faster—or when you show up as an authentic leader your team actually trusts?
You're under constant pressure to communicate clearly, move quickly, and keep up with AI without losing your voice in the process. In this episode, Jim Schleckser talks with Allison Shapira about the real tension leaders face today: using AI to gain efficiency while still sounding human, credible, and genuinely connected to the people who matter most.
By listening, you'll gain:
Clear guidance on how to use AI to strengthen your voice instead of diluting it as an authentic leader

Insight into why AI-generated communication can quietly erode trust—and how to prevent it

Practical ideas for balancing speed, clarity, and culture in leadership communication

Hit play to discover how leading with authenticity—while using AI wisely—can increase trust, impact, and the long-term value of your business.
Check out:
08:45 – Allison explains why AI-written emails can quietly destroy trust—and how leaders can spot when efficiency starts replacing authenticity.

22:10 – A practical breakdown of how to "train" AI to reflect your voice, values, and lived experience as an authentic leader.

41:30 – A cautionary story about leaders trusting AI over their team—and what it signals about culture, credibility, and leadership judgment.

About Allison Shapira
Allison Shapira is an executive advisor, Harvard lecturer, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and trained opera singer who helps senior leaders speak with confidence, clarity, and authenticity—especially in high-stakes, high-visibility moments. Since 2003, she has advised leaders from prime ministers to Fortune 50 executives and has designed leadership communication programs that drive trust, alignment, and measurable results. An entrepreneur and global expert in leadership and communication, Allison brings over two decades of experience to every engagement. Her practical frameworks integrate cutting-edge AI tools to help executives sharpen their message, amplify their voice, and Speak With Impact℠. An adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School since 2015, her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and Harvard Business Review. She is the author of three books: the Washington Post best-seller Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership), the companion e-guide Speak with Impact VIRTUALLY, and her newest book, AI for the Authentic Leader: How to Communicate More Effectively Without Losing Your Humanity (Spa Creek Press).