The Decision by EO Nashville

Hosted by EO Nashville

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123

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Aug 2026

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About the show

This is The Decision by Nashville EO. On this podcast, you will hear the rest of the story after tough decisions were made by Entrepreneurs who faced adversity and lived to tell about it.

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September 4, 202630 min

Jonathan Merkh - How To Use a Book To Build Authority and Grow Your Business

Jonathan Merkh is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO at Forefront Books, a hybrid publisher that helps thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts turn compelling ideas into professionally published books. With more than 30 years in publishing, he guides authors through strategy, editorial development, production, distribution, and market positioning. Jonathan previously held leadership roles at Thomas Nelson and Simon & Schuster. Across his career, he has helped publish nearly 100 New York Times bestsellers and serves on the board of the Independent Book Publishers Association. In this episode… Publishing a book can do more for an entrepreneur than generate book sales. The right book can strengthen credibility, establish expertise, attract clients, and open doors that might otherwise remain closed. So how can entrepreneurs use a book as a strategic tool for building authority and growing their business? Publishing veteran Jonathan Merkh explains that the real ROI of a business book often comes from the opportunities it creates, not the number of copies sold. Becoming an author can position entrepreneurs as trusted authorities and help prospective clients view their expertise from a new perspective. Jonathan also emphasizes the value of professional publishing, strong storytelling, and choosing the right support throughout the process. The goal is to create a high-quality book that builds credibility, extends your reach, and continues working for your business long after publication. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline talks with Jonathan Merkh, Co-founder, President, and CEO of Forefront Books, about using books to build authority and business opportunities. Jonathan shares why book sales aren't the only measure of ROI, how hybrid publishing works, and what it takes to turn an idea into a professional book. He also touches on entrepreneurship, navigating difficult partnerships, and the value of community through EO.

August 7, 202639 min

Bill McCleskey - The Future of Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership in Nashville

Bill McCleskey is the Founder and CEO of Mitech Partners, a Nashville-based technology brokerage that connects businesses with telecom and technology solutions. He also serves as the President of EO Nashville, where he advances member engagement, community partnerships, digital visibility, and growth across Middle Tennessee's entrepreneurial ecosystem. An author, speaker, and business coach, Bill draws on more than 15 years of experience to help entrepreneurs and sales leaders turn discipline, accountability, and relationship-building into measurable revenue. In this episode… Entrepreneurship may begin with an individual decision, but sustainable growth doesn't happen alone. Strong peer relationships create accountability, perspective, and a trusted place to navigate challenges that can't always be shared with employees or family. What changes when entrepreneurs stop treating growth as an individual pursuit and start building it through community? The answer, according to entrepreneur and leadership expert Bill McCleskey, is greater resilience, stronger decision-making, and a higher personal standard. He maintains that growth comes from surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking, sharing experiences rather than prescribing solutions, and treating every member as an ambassador for the community. Bill also encourages entrepreneurs to strengthen local relationships, improve digital visibility, and create clearer pathways for business owners at different stages. These practices turn a professional organization like EO Nashville into a meaningful support system for entrepreneurs and the wider city. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline chats with Bill McCleskey, Founder and CEO of Mitech Partners and President of EO Nashville, about building a stronger entrepreneurial community through EO Nashville. Bill shares why leadership raises personal standards, how peer groups create accountability, and what EO Nashville can do to expand its local influence. He also touches on digital outreach, university partnerships, and honest stories of adversity.

July 24, 202627 min

Ann Johnson - How a $250,000 Employee Theft Changed One Business Forever

Ann Johnson is the Founder and Owner of Waste Tech Services, a nationwide trash consulting and brokerage firm that negotiates waste contracts and reduces disposal costs for businesses. Since its founding, Waste Tech Services has negotiated thousands of contracts for clients and has saved millions of dollars for the companies it represents. With decades of experience in waste management, Ann built the company by forming buying co-ops, reviewing invoices, resolving service issues, and securing optimal contract terms. In this episode… Trust is essential in business, but it can also expose an owner to risks that are difficult to see from the outside. When a longtime employee quietly steals from the company, how does a leader respond without letting the betrayal define everything that follows? Waste-industry expert Ann Johnson built her career by understanding contracts, pricing, service structures, and the hidden costs clients often overlook. That attention to detail became critical when her company uncovered that a trusted bookkeeper had created false businesses, opened unauthorized accounts, and stolen $250,000 over the course of a year and a half. Ann helped build the case, strengthened internal controls, and eventually confronted the toll the experience took on her health. Her experience is a reminder for business owners to strengthen safeguards, share responsibility, and make space for their well-being when the weight of running a business becomes personal. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline sits down with Ann Johnson, Founder and Owner of Waste Tech Services, to discuss how she rebuilt trust and leadership after a major employee theft. Ann explores how the $250,000 scheme was uncovered, the safeguards she put in place afterward, and why the experience led her to prioritize her health and hand daily operations to a trusted CEO.

July 17, 202630 min

Phillip Simpson - How Entrepreneurs Can Balance Ambition, Focus, and Purpose

Phillip Simpson is the CEO of SFM Services, a family of companies that helps schools, churches, and other mission-driven organizations clean, maintain, and secure their facilities. He leads the company's growth, culture, and operations while developing teams that deliver dependable, high-quality work. A West Point graduate, former Army infantry officer, and an elite wrestler who trained for the Olympics, Phillip has experience in leadership, discipline, talent development, and building organizations around clear values. In this episode… Building a meaningful career often requires choosing between competing definitions of success. Strong leadership also depends on knowing when to pursue an opportunity, when to step back, and how to protect the values that matter most. How can entrepreneurs grow with ambition without losing focus, authenticity, or balance? Leadership and operations expert Phillip Simpson answers that question through disciplined priorities and intentional decision-making. He recommends choosing environments where trusted people will invest in your potential, recognizing that different employees require different forms of motivation, and resisting opportunities that distract from core strengths. Phillip also emphasizes identifying where you can excel rather than trying to master everything, creating conditions for people to perform meaningful work, and treating vulnerability as a tool for growth. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline talks with Phillip Simpson, CEO of SFM Services, about making difficult choices while building a values-driven business. Phillip explains how military and athletic experiences shaped his leadership style, why entrepreneurs must learn to say no, and how a strong culture helps people thrive. He also offers lessons on mentorship, vulnerability, and balancing growth with family.

July 10, 202644 min

Lauren Reed - Stepping Away To Lead Better: Lessons From an 18-Month Sabbatical

Lauren Reed is the Founding Partner of REED Public Relations, a full-service public relations and marketing agency. In her role, she leads strategy, business growth, and team development, drawing on expertise in communications, agency leadership, workplace culture, and cause marketing. Lauren also speaks and writes about entrepreneurship, burnout, and building a business that can thrive beyond its founder. In this episode… Some entrepreneurs have always known they would one day build a company. Others arrive there only after a decision forces them to trust themselves before the path is fully clear. What does it look like when an unplanned business becomes a catalyst for personal and professional growth? Communications strategist Lauren Reed began her career convinced entrepreneurship was too risky, shaped by what she saw growing up around the highs and lows of business ownership. When circumstances at her agency shifted, she left with no plan to start a company, only to find clients, mentors, and opportunities appearing almost immediately. Over time, Lauren moved from cautious founder to EO member, speaker, author, and leader willing to step away from the day-to-day so her team could rise. She maintains that building a sustainable company requires enough trust to stop being at the center of everything. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline sits down with Lauren Reed, Founding Partner of REED Public Relations, to discuss stepping away from the business to rediscover her role as a leader. Lauren shares why a 90-day sabbatical became 18 months, how spiritual exploration shaped her next chapter, and what changed when she returned with deeper trust in her leadership team.

July 3, 202644 min

Dr. David Haase - Long-Term Health Habits for Entrepreneurs

David Haase, MD, is the Founder and Executive Physician at MaxWell Clinic, a functional medicine clinic focused on advanced diagnostics, nutrition, longevity, and brain optimization. In 2025, he founded EverBetter, a health technology company dedicated to improving clinical outcomes, digital security, and human agency. Dr. Haase completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic and is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. He is also Lead Faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine and trains physicians globally in approaches to Alzheimer's, dementia, and chronic illness. In this episode… Healthcare often rewards efficiency, compliance, and the search for the "right" answer. Yet when the goal is human flourishing, the better question may be how to build systems, habits, and communities that help people live and lead with more energy, clarity, and purpose. What would change if health were treated like a life-long strategy instead of a transaction? Dr. David Haase, a physician specializing in personalized and systems-based medicine, argues that sustained health starts by looking at the whole person rather than chasing isolated symptoms. For entrepreneurs, he suggests prioritizing brain health, protecting sleep by treating the bedroom as a sanctuary, and continuing to learn as a way to preserve cognitive function while aging. Health improves when people make daily decisions that support energy, resilience, and long-term purpose. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Dr. David Haase, Founder and Executive Physician at MaxWell Clinic, to discuss health strategies for entrepreneurs. Dr. Haase shares the importance of brain health, how sleep impacts performance, and how ambition, learning, and community support long-term wellness.

June 26, 202628 min

Iris Pomerance Fields - From Tech Disillusionment to Buying and Rebuilding a Service Business

Iris Pomerance Fields is the Owner and President of The Porch Company, a design-build construction firm specializing in custom porches and outdoor living spaces. Originally founded more than 30 years ago, she acquired the company and now leads its growth while preserving its craftsmanship-focused legacy. Before The Porch Company, Iris worked in business operations at Built Technologies and CareBridge. In this episode… A career can look successful on paper while feeling strangely disconnected from the work itself. Over time, that gap can evolve into a deeper question about whether day-to-day work feels grounded, tangible, and aligned with personal values. When external success no longer matches internal clarity, what does it take to realign the two? With a background in finance operations and high-growth tech startups, Iris Pomerance Fields found herself increasingly pulled toward work that produced visible, real-world outcomes. After years in abstract, systems-driven environments, Iris began rethinking what meaningful work would look like in practice and explored entrepreneurship as a way to regain autonomy and control over her time and impact. That search eventually led her into business acquisition, where she applied her systems-oriented mindset to an entirely different type of organization. Her key takeaway: clarity often follows action, not the other way around. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Iris Pomerance Fields, Owner and President of The Porch Company, to discuss career reinvention through business acquisition and leadership. Iris explains her shift from tech to tangible business ownership, how she acquired and restructured a multi-branch company into a unified organization, and lessons from her EO forum.

June 19, 202630 min

Daniel Woods - Building a Service Business Through Hospitality and Intentional Leadership

Daniel Woods is the Founder and CEO of The Addison Group, a landscape architecture firm focused on designing personalized and elegant outdoor spaces. The company serves builders and custom clients throughout Greater Nashville, offering landscape design, site and grading plans, pool and outdoor living design, and 3D rendering. Before founding The Addison Group, Daniel was a senior Landscape Architect at Southern Land Company, where he played a principal role in the development of local communities. In this episode… Growth often begins with a simple question: Is the path you're on still the right one? For entrepreneurs, this question can surface in moments of uncertainty, forcing them to rethink how they lead, serve, and build what comes next. Landscape architect Daniel Woods spent years learning the craft of design before realizing that his deeper calling was entrepreneurship. After launching his own business in 2012, he moved from simply serving clients well to building a company with a clearer structure, stronger leadership, and a more intentional client experience. Throughout his journey, Daniel learned that growth requires more than talent — it requires listening well, planning ahead, and committing fully to the principles that set your company apart. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson talk with Daniel Woods, Founder and CEO of The Addison Group, about building a service business through intentional leadership. Daniel shares how he started his entrepreneurial journey, why communication and hospitality became his company's guiding principles, and how EO helped him improve his listening skills.

May 8, 202628 min

Matthew Anderson - Making Better Decisions in Real Estate, Law, and Entrepreneurship

Matthew Anderson is a Partner at Anderson & Harrison, PLLC, a Nashville-based boutique law firm focused on construction and real estate law. The practice represents real estate professionals, investors, developers, and operators in breach-of-contract and tort disputes related to real estate and construction. As a real estate investor and operator, Matthew has approximately $25M of assets under management, consisting primarily of multifamily and office space in Tennessee. In this episode… Entrepreneurship often requires choosing between what's working and what's worth building next. As opportunities expand, the harder decision is not always whether to grow, but what to let go of in order to grow well. How do you know when a difficult season is actually pointing you toward the next right move? Real estate and construction law expert Matthew Anderson built his career at the intersection of legal strategy, investing, and entrepreneurship. After starting out in law while quietly pursuing real estate deals on the side, he eventually stepped into business ownership, learning that growth required more than ambition — it required focus, discipline, and the courage to say no. A deeply personal setback, including grief and a delayed bar exam, became an unexpected turning point that gave Matthew space to study investing and take action. His advice: stop dabbling, make offers, learn through due diligence, and use action to build confidence. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline sits down with Matthew Anderson, Partner at Anderson & Harrison, PLLC, to discuss making difficult decisions in entrepreneurship and real estate investing. Matthew shares how he joined EO, why investor experience shapes his legal advice, and how a major personal setback helped launch his investing journey.

May 1, 202644 min

Brian Fisher - How To Find Your True Role in Business and Build a Career That Fits

Brian Fisher is the Co-founder and COO of Jucebox, a digital marketing and sales platform for life insurance agents and advisors. He is also the COO and Chief Compliance Officer at JB Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment advisory services company. With a background in operations and marketing, Brian helps advisors improve performance and client acquisition. In this episode… Success may look like a straight path from passion to achievement, but it rarely unfolds that way. Many professionals find themselves pivoting, reevaluating, and redefining what fulfillment means along the journey. What can you do when the path you've invested in no longer aligns with the life you want to build? Business infrastructure expert Brian Fisher didn't begin his career with spreadsheets or systems, but with a trumpet in hand and a vision of performing. As he moved from music into the restaurant industry, he immersed himself in operations, eventually running multimillion-dollar establishments and launching his own creative dining experiences. Even after achieving his dream of opening a restaurant, an unexpected loss forced Brian to rebuild from scratch. Alongside his twin brother, he found a new path, learning to embrace his strengths behind the scenes — designing systems, scaling operations, and supporting growth rather than chasing the spotlight. Brian's journey demonstrates that success comes from aligning your work with your natural strengths, not forcing yourself into roles that drain you. In this episode of The Decision , Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson sit down with Brian Fisher, Co-founder and COO of Jucebox, to discuss navigating career pivots and finding your role in business. Brian shares his transition from music to restaurants, lessons from building and losing a business, and how defining his strengths reshaped his leadership approach.