Poised for Exit
Welcome to the Poised for Exit podcast! Poised for Exit is an under 30-minute strategic planning guidance podcast for busy small business owners. Each week you’ll hear certified exit planning advisor, Julie Keyes, talk with a range of entrepreneurs and professionals about preparing your business for a future transition. Guests at every stage of company ownership will share their personal stories and lessons learned about topics such as the anatomy of the exit planning process, developing a growth strategy, how to sell on your terms, exit planning for women small business owners, handling business diversity, and how to sell a family business. Whether you’re planning an exit in the near future or not, this show will provide you with the same action-oriented content that Julie utilizes while consulting with Keyestrategies clients. Building an exit strategy can be overwhelming, especially with all the decisions and details you have to consider. “Poised for Exit” will simplify the process and help you unwrap the unknowns, giving you more confidence in your planning process. Previous episodes are available for download, so if you are new to our show, you can listen to them in any order that suits you. Join us each week for timely, relevant content that will surely impact your business exit outcome! Subscribe to our newsletter below to receive your weekly episode link and stay updated on new strategic planning content. Find “Poised for Exit” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and others. Thank you to our Sponsors: Sunbelt Business Advisers and JAK CPA's. A special note of thanks to Tyler Keyes who produced the music for the “Poised for Exit” show.
Poised for Exit
Building Stronger Teams and Business Value Through EQ and AI
In this episode of Poised for Exit, we sit down with Heather Polivka, Founder and CEO of Awesome People Leaders, to explore how leadership, culture, and emotional intelligence drive real business value.
Heather shares how her firm helps organizations close leadership gaps, reduce disengagement, and elevate team performance. At the center of our conversation is Awesome EQ, a new AI-powered tool that delivers real-time coaching prompts inside everyday platforms like Outlook, Gmail, and Slack. The tool helps leaders build trust, communicate more effectively, and strengthen team dynamics in the moment.
Our discussion touches on why emotional intelligence is such a critical predictor of success, how real-time insights prevent miscommunication and boost retention, and the ways companies have gone through acquisitions without losing key talent. Heather also outlines a three-year roadmap for developing leadership capacity, strengthening culture, and positioning a business for greater value at exit.
She emphasizes that in an AI-driven world, the human element becomes even more critical. By combining neuroscience, EQ, and technology, leaders can unlock higher performance while safeguarding company culture and long-term value.
Connect with Heather on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherpolivka/
Follow Awesome People Leaders on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/awesome-people-leaders
Visit awesomepeopleleaders.com to learn more
https://www.awesomepeopleleaders.com/
Connect with Julie Keyes, Keyestrategies LLC
Founder, Consultant, Author, Pod-caster and Instructor