The CEO Shift

Shawndel Spader
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

The CEO Shift is a leadership podcast for CEOs, agency owners, and founders ready to think differently about how they lead, grow, and scale. Hosted by Shawndel Spader of Spader Group, each episode features real conversations with experienced CEOs, authors, and industry experts who share the mindset shifts that helped them move from reactive to intentional leadership. This is not about doing more. It is about leading better. From decision-making and team development to profitability, systems, and mindset, The CEO Shift explores what it actually takes to build a business that works for you, not because of you. If you are ready to stop spinning your wheels and start leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose, this podcast is for you. Follow The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 1d ago

    How Process, Documentation, and Low-Code Tools Help Agencies Scale Faster with Shawn Johnston

    What does it take to scale an agency without constant bottlenecks, burnout, and team frustration? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Shawn Johnston to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Shawn Johnston: Shawn Johnston is the founder of Forge and Smith and the creator of Refoundry. He helps agencies grow through documented processes, clear frameworks, and low-code tools that empower teams instead of creating new bottlenecks. In this conversation, you will learn: - How process and documentation transform how agencies work - Building systems that empower teams and reduce bottlenecks - Why documentation is essential for onboarding and accountability - Low-code frameworks that unlock efficiency - Creating clarity, ownership, and collaboration across an organization - How to operationalize creativity without killing it - The hidden leverage inside your team's tribal knowledge Who this episode is for: Agency founders, operations leaders, and CEOs who are tired of being the glue holding every project together and want repeatable systems that scale. Get Shawn's Low-Code, High-Impact Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Iial0uN6iH5f_JB5bxgFuw0kVS4B3IT-/view Connect with Shawn Johnston: Refoundry: https://refoundry.io/ Forge and Smith: https://forgeandsmith.com/ Shawn Johnston: https://shawnjohnston.ca/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/shawnjohnston Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realagencyshawn/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realagencyshawn About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    20 min

  2. 5d ago

    Why Saying No is the Key To Sustainable Growth and Profitability with Susan Baier

    What if saying no is the most profitable decision you can make this year? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Susan Baier to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Susan Baier: Susan Baier is the founder and CEO of Audience Audit, an attitudinal research firm that helps agencies and brands understand the real motivations of their audiences. She leads with a fierce commitment to profitability, sustainability, and helpfulness. In this conversation, you will learn: - Leading with intention, profitability, and sustainability - Why learning to say no is essential for growth - Being relentlessly helpful without sacrificing your values - CEO mindset, profit discipline, and strategic decision making - Creating a business that supports your life instead of consuming it - How to use audience research to make smarter CEO decisions - The profit impact of firing the wrong clients Who this episode is for: CEOs, entrepreneurs, and agency owners who are ready to scale sustainably, improve profitability, and build a business that fits the life they actually want. Connect with Susan Baier: Website: https://audienceaudit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbaieraz/ About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    34 min

  3. Jun 9

    The CALM Approach to Leading at Work and at Home with Angie Weber

    What happens when the skills of parenting and leadership collide? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Angie Weber to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Angie Weber: Angie Weber is the CEO of The Parent Toolbox and the creator of the C.A.L.M. Approach and C.A.L.M. Family Planner. She helps CEOs and parents apply the same pillars of clarity, accountability, and intention to both their businesses and their homes. In this conversation, you will learn: - The C.A.L.M. Approach to parenting and leadership - Breaking generational cycles in business and at home - How weekly family meetings mirror strategic planning - Leading with clarity instead of chasing distractions - Mindset shifts for parents who are also CEOs - Creating alignment between your business and family systems - Why the skills you use at home translate directly to the boardroom Who this episode is for: Working parents, family-owned business leaders, and CEOs who want to lead more intentionally at work and at home without feeling torn between the two. Connect with Angie Weber: Website: https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheParentToolbox/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheParentToolbox/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angieweber/ About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    19 min

  4. Jun 9

    Everybody Likes to Buy, Nobody Likes to Be Sold with Paul Dorsey

    Everybody likes to buy. Nobody likes to be sold. That single idea built Paul Dorsey's career. Paul spent 20 years building an independent investment advisory business, growing it from one client saving $25 a month into hundreds of millions of dollars and about 400 families, almost entirely through unsolicited referrals. In this episode of The CEO Shift, he and Shawndel Spader talk about why serving beats selling, the TEA framework of time, empathy, and authenticity, getting pitch flapped, and the Sweet Virginia story behind his new book, Ditch the Pitch. If you lead a company and want to grow in a way that feels honest and sustainable, this one is for you. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube, and find every episode at spadergroup.com/ceo-shift. Connect with Paul Dorsey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpauldorsey/ Website: lpauldorsey.com Book: Ditch the Pitch, available on Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble Connect with The CEO Shift Website: spadergroup.com/ceo-shift

    20 min

  5. Jun 5

    How Clean Financials Drive Growth with Debbie Stewart

    What if your financials are the single biggest factor in whether your business survives growth? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Debbie Stewart to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Debbie Stewart: Debbie Stewart is a seasoned fractional CFO who partners with growth-minded CEOs to bring financial clarity, discipline, and strategy into businesses that have outgrown the bookkeeper stage but are not ready for a full-time CFO. In this conversation, you will learn: - What it really means to build a financially sound business - Financial hygiene for growth-minded CEOs - Scaling with the right finance and leadership team - How to make your business sell-ready, even if you are not selling - Understanding your numbers as a CEO, not a bookkeeper - When to bring in a fractional CFO - The financial red flags that most owners miss too late Who this episode is for: CEOs and founders who feel blurry about their financials and want a trusted framework for cash flow, forecasting, and scaling with confidence. Connect with Debbie Stewart: Website: https://www.financefuelinggrowth.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbierstewart/ About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    21 min

  6. Jun 2

    Balance Isn't Even: How CEOs Lead with Intention with Stacey Bartelson

    Most CEOs treat balance like a finish line. Stacey Bartelson has a sharper read. Balance isn't even.  In this episode, Shawndel sits down with Stacey Bartelson, a CFP, CEPA, and ChFC at Bartelson Blessner Wealth Group with Edward Jones, to talk about what it actually looks like to lead with intention, work on your business instead of just in it, and plan for the exit you haven't taken yet. You'll hear why it's never too early to start a financial plan, how to give yourself permission to say no to the rooms that drain you, why so many business transfers fall apart at the finish line, and the mindset shift that moved Stacey from "financial advisor" to CEO. Connect with Stacey:  Email: stacey.bartelson@edwardjones.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybartelson/ Website: edwardjones.com/stacey-bartelson

    22 min

  7. Jun 2

    Protecting Your Profit: Why CEOs Must Understand Intellectual Property with Sharon Toerek

    Are you leaving money on the table because you do not understand your own IP? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Sharon Toerek to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Sharon Toerek: Sharon Toerek is the CEO and founder of Toerek Law, also known as Legal and Creative. She helps agencies, creatives, and service businesses protect and monetize their intellectual property so their hard work translates into lasting enterprise value. In this conversation, you will learn: - Why CEOs must understand intellectual property - Growing a company by leveraging IP you already own - Shifting out of day-to-day operations - Leading your team with intention and clarity - How to identify hidden value inside your business - Why growth is not just about revenue, it is about assets - How to fire yourself from low-value work and scale smarter Who this episode is for: Agency owners, creative service CEOs, and founders who want to protect their ideas, productize their expertise, and build real equity value into their business. Connect with Sharon Toerek: Website: https://legalandcreative.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharontoerek/ About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    23 min

  8. May 29

    Letting Go to Lead Better: How CEOs Can Stop Doing It All with Lida Bannink

    What happens when a successful attorney realizes that doing it all is holding her company back? On this episode of The CEO Shift, host Shawndel Spader sits down with Lida Bannink to explore the mindset shifts, strategies, and leadership lessons that move CEOs from operator to visionary. About Lida Bannink: Lida Bannink is an attorney, managing shareholder, and working mom who leads her law firm with a people-first philosophy. She is known for redefining leadership as trust, space, and shared ownership instead of control. In this conversation, you will learn: - Redefining leadership to create space, trust, and scale - Building a people-first law firm - Leading as both a CEO and a parent - How to stop juggling everything and build a business that runs without you - Mentoring young leaders and growing a strong team - The hidden cost of doing it all yourself - Creating a culture that attracts and keeps top talent Who this episode is for: Women leaders, professional service CEOs, and working parents who are ready to stop being the bottleneck and start leading with more trust and delegation. Connect with Lida Bannink: Website: https://eckberglammers.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lida-bannink-ba743758/ About The CEO Shift Podcast: The CEO Shift is a weekly leadership podcast hosted by Shawndel Spader, founder of Spader Group. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs, agency owners, founders, and industry experts about the real mindset shifts, strategies, and systems that turn capable operators into intentional leaders. If you are growing a service business, running an agency, or leading a team, The CEO Shift is designed to help you lead with clarity and scale with confidence. Follow and subscribe to The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review to help more CEOs discover the show. Visit spadergroup.com/ceo-shift for episode resources and the free CEO Decision Guide. Connect with Shawndel Spader: Website: https://spadergroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndelspader/

    19 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The CEO Shift is a leadership podcast for CEOs, agency owners, and founders ready to think differently about how they lead, grow, and scale. Hosted by Shawndel Spader of Spader Group, each episode features real conversations with experienced CEOs, authors, and industry experts who share the mindset shifts that helped them move from reactive to intentional leadership. This is not about doing more. It is about leading better. From decision-making and team development to profitability, systems, and mindset, The CEO Shift explores what it actually takes to build a business that works for you, not because of you. If you are ready to stop spinning your wheels and start leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose, this podcast is for you. Follow The CEO Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Shawndel Spader
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The CEO Shift