Visiting CEO

Hands-on Executive Support When You Need It

"There is at least one point in the history of any company when you have to change dramatically to rise to the next level of performance. Miss that moment and you start to decline."

Andy Grove, Hungarian-born
American businessman, engineer, and
Science pioneer in the semiconductor industry

Visiting CEO - hands-on executive support

According to Harvard Business Review:

“Understanding that there are different viewpoints on issues is step one in realizing the need for new perspectives.  It has been said that what keeps senior leaders awake at night is not what they know, but rather what they do not know.  Knowing the limits of your own knowledge is important."

Harvard Business Review article "Find a Fresh Perspective in a Comfortable Gig", by John Baldoni (July 2011)

Visiting CEO™, a division of Top-Notch CEO™, offer hands-on executive support to companies that are in one or more of the following four situations:

Visiting CEO
When Biz needs us most - visiting CEO

At the Foundation of Our Success Track Record - The Transforming Expertise Into Success™ System

Visiting CEO™ uses our propriety Transforming Expertise Into Success The program was developed by Top-Notch CEO's founder, Dr. Stephie Althouse, to ensure successful company turnarounds and to grow successful companies to the next level.

 

Overcoming the Geek's dilemma with the "Transforming Talent into Wealth" system

What Visiting CEO ™ Offers

Save Yourself Time, Frustration & Money

Come learn practical, fun, easily applied success tools with guidance from Dr. Stephie and her team of top talent business coaches.

Dr. Stephie Althouse — known as "Dr. Stephie" to her clients — is an experienced business growth advisor and coach who is an innovator herself.  Her background is a rare combination of science, innovation, business growth experience, and proven leadership.

She's successfully turned around — and then grown high-tech/high-talent companies.  It's her wide-spectrum expertise and ongoing studies — from hard science to interpersonal chemistry and group dynamics that uniquely positions her to work well with innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries and their teams.

Stephie Altohuse, Ph.D. offers leadership trainign and executive coachiing for geeks
Part of the curriculum for leadership training
101 Quick Tips for ESOP Leaders

Case Studies

Our mission as Visiting CEO™ is to work with you on a peer-to-peer level to take your expertise to  the next level of success. We restore and increase profitability in your company.  Here are a few examples.  See also testimonials on our testimonials page.

"My business had stopped growing at the rate I thought it could, and I knew that I needed some help. Dr. Stephie did an incredible job at identifying what makes my business special and helped me to maximize that uniqueness to help grow business.  My business is running much smoother and more efficiently, and my stress level has dropped considerably."

Bill Walsh, District Manager, Farmers Insurance, District Carlsbad, CA

“Thank you for your strategic guidance and the “Fresh Eyes Assessment.  Through your leadership, and in a short time, we exceeded our expectations in revenue and profitability, and Giroux Glass has emerged as a stronger, independent employee ownership managed company.”
 
Anne-Merelie Murrell, CEO, Giroux Glass, Inc.
 

Wow, I honestly did not expect to get so much value from Dr. Stephie’s “Top-Notch CEO Coaching Circle.”  In the beginning, I thought I already knew the tips we were discussing.  Then, as we got deeper into it, I realized that — to reach my goals faster and with greater ease — I needed to reflect more on many of the tips.  I am fleshing out my ideas in more detail and, more importantly, I now write them down instead of carrying them only in my head.  Many times when I’ve been promised tremendous business improvements through one program or the other and I have felt ripped off afterwards.  Dr. Stephie, however, is the real deal and delivers way more value than you would ever expect.

Ted Przybylek, President, Rancho Ted Real Estate Loans & Investments

"Dr. Stephie has shown herself to be an effective strategist and leader, with a feel for employee attitudes and motivation. She has taken companies to winning awards for their success in generating top financial performance by building employee commitment and dedication. She gets results!"

Martin Staubus, Executive Director, The Beyster Institute

"Dr. Stephie Althouse excels in the corporate world as a Visiting CEO. She developed a "Fresh Eyes Assessment" and does a turn around with troubled companies. She has pulled them from near bankruptcy to profit in a relatively short time. One of her specialties is working with ESOP companies."

June Davidson, Ph.D., President of American Seminar Leaders Association and Coaching Firm International, Asla.com

Dr. Stephie’s CEO coaching program is right on the mark. It is pragmatic — no fuss — and gets you on point quickly. I appreciate the teleconference format as it makes it very easy to participate. It is obvious she has a lot of experience and has spent a lot of time researching and developing the program to get the maximum results. I highly recommend it for anyone that is driven to be successful and wants to further improve strategies and tools needed need to get there.

Karen Taggart, President, Shades of Light, San Diego

“Working with Stephie has been life changing and eye opening. Through Stephie’s guidance, my team is now maximizing their strengths, creating a much more efficient and productive business. More importantly, we are all excited to come to work every day! With Stephie’s coaching, I am now a much happier boss, wife and mother. I am not only reaching my vision, but I am also meeting and exceeding my goals.”

Jill Harris, Farmers Insurance, Lic#0F70123, JHFARMERS.com

“Dr. Stephie is a driven and highly energetic executive. She has kept the team focused, and the company growing, even during the recent economic cycle. Last year’s revenues increased 41%. Stephie has expanded the company’s portfolio of products and skills into new technology areas. Client satisfaction is very high.”

Jim Waring, Executive Chairman, CleanTECH San Diego

Our session with you today is so valuable it will more than pay for your compensation for the whole year! While we thought about doing the analysis you did with us today, we would have never done it. For sure, we could not have done it so well. Coaching with you by far exceeds all of our expectations. THANK YOU!"

Ted Przybylek, President, RanchoTed Real Estate Loans & Investments

The Top-Notch CEO Coaching Circle and “101 Quick Tips for high-Talent Companies” book are very helpful.  They force me to step back, pause and reflect on what I want to accomplish, as well as review Hi-Z with a fresh perspective.  Beyond that, the peer group provides an outside viewpoint from other business leaders unrelated to Hi-Z.  Having this type of forum as a sounding board is invaluable.  Thank you, Dr. Stephie!

Jill Elsner, CEO / CFO, Hi-Z Technology, Inc.

Fantastic CEO!!  Couldn’t ask for a better person to steer the ship of my company.  Great advisor, problem solver, people person, and system analyst.

Joy Megas, CEO, Simply Pay Yourself First

"Dr. Stephie Althouse is an insightful and creative consultant and executive coach. Her Fresh Eyes Assessment has been integral to positioning the company for higher profits. She has displayed tireless dedication, tremendous skill and beyond-the-call-of-duty commitment in guiding us in our efforts to create our family legacy."

Eddie Moreno, Vice-President, Sales at The Arrowhead Leasing Company, Inc.

Top Notch CEO testimonials for executive coaching , consulting and leadership training

Let's talk. No strings attached.

  • Get help thinking through a situation you are dealing with
  • Gain a new perspective
Top Notch CEO testimonials for executive coaching , consulting and leadership training

Client Feedback

Wow, I honestly did not expect to get so much value from Dr. Stephie’s “Top-Notch CEO Coaching Circle.”  In the beginning, I thought I already knew the tips we were discussing.  Then, as we got deeper into it, I realized that — to reach my goals faster and with greater ease — I needed to reflect more on many of the tips.  I am fleshing out my ideas in more detail and, more importantly, I now write them down instead of carrying them only in my head.  Many times when I’ve been promised tremendous business improvements through one program or the other and I have felt ripped off afterwards.  Dr. Stephie, however, is the real deal and delivers way more value than you would ever expect.

Ted Przybylek, President, Rancho Ted Real Estate Loans & Investments

Dr. Stephie’s CEO coaching program is right on the mark. It is pragmatic — no fuss — and gets you on point quickly. I appreciate the teleconference format as it makes it very easy to participate. It is obvious she has a lot of experience and has spent a lot of time researching and developing the program to get the maximum results. I highly recommend it for anyone that is driven to be successful and wants to further improve strategies and tools needed need to get there.

Karen Taggart, President, Shades of Light, San Diego

“Dr. Stephie is a driven and highly energetic executive. She has kept the team focused, and the company growing, even during the recent economic cycle. Last year’s revenues increased 41%. Stephie has expanded the company’s portfolio of products and skills into new technology areas. Client satisfaction is very high.”

Jim Waring, Executive Chairman, CleanTECH San Diego

My experience with Dr. Stephie was that she was very professional and she offered great insight into how a company should be run AND the tough decisions which need to be made.

Andy Gull, Project Manager, Giroux Glass

For the past 6 months I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Stephie on a weekly basis. I must say, when I began, I did not think I was going to need the help of an executive coach for my business. I could not have been more wrong! She has been an invaluable asset, providing me with frequent feedback and coaching that has allowed me to go above and beyond at work and in my life. I highly recommend Dr. Stephie to anyone looking to grow their business and empower everyone around them. She is a dedicated asset and I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.

Madison Meyer, Director for Business Development, Holonis Inc.

Dr. Stephie is an experienced business woman — with experience in diverse companies — including work with skills assessment, marketing, team building, sales, and leadership.  I highly recommend her!

Maureen Mason-Cover, Physical Therapist, Comprehensive Therapy

“Working with Stephie has been life changing and eye opening. Through Stephie’s guidance, my team is now maximizing their strengths, creating a much more efficient and productive business. More importantly, we are all excited to come to work every day! With Stephie’s coaching, I am now a much happier boss, wife and mother. I am not only reaching my vision, but I am also meeting and exceeding my goals.”

Jill Harris, Farmers Insurance, Lic#0F70123, www.JHFARMERS.com

“Thank you for your strategic guidance and the “Fresh Eyes Assessment.  Through your leadership, and in a short time, we exceeded our expectations in revenue and profitability, and Giroux Glass has emerged as a stronger, independent employee ownership managed company.”

Anne-Merelie Murrell, CEO, Giroux Glass, Inc., Girouxglass.com

The Top-Notch CEO Coaching Circle and “101 Quick Tips for high-Talent Companies” book are very helpful.  They force me to step back, pause and reflect on what I want to accomplish, as well as review Hi-Z with a fresh perspective.  Beyond that, the peer group provides an outside viewpoint from other business leaders unrelated to Hi-Z.  Having this type of forum as a sounding board is invaluable.  Thank you, Dr. Stephie!

Jill Elsner, CEO / CFO, Hi-Z Technology, Inc.

What impressed me most about Dr. Stephie is her ability to motivate me to confidently tackle challenging tasks.  She truly cares about getting measurable results for her client and this is obvious from the initial consultation through the actual coaching program.  I would highly recommend her for anyone tackling a new quest or needing to be more effective in the current one.

Mark Baldwin, Founder and Principle, Urban Farm Opportunist

Fantastic CEO!!  Couldn’t ask for a better person to steer the ship of my company.  Great advisor, problem solver, people person, and system analyst.

Joy Megas, CEO, Simply Pay Yourself First