An Interview With Chad Silverstein
You build a great business to build a great life.
The most successful modern CEOs are rewriting the rules of leadership. They’re not only building profitable companies but building purposeful brands with personal voices behind them. These leaders understand that in today’s world, people invest in people. Their stories, values, and visibility fuel loyalty, attract opportunities, and drive business growth far beyond traditional metrics. In this interview series, we’re sitting down with leaders who’ve learned to balance purpose, profit, and personal brand — and who are using their influence to shape the future of business leadership.
As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ivy Slater.
Ivy Slater is a professionally certified coach, best-selling author of three books, a TEDx speaker and hosts a weekly podcast called “Her Success Story.” As the CEO of Slater Success, Ivy focuses on growth strategies and leadership development for service-based firms, particularly those in the legal, finance and technology sectors. Ivy has gained a reputation for training clients to lead, grow and scale their businesses. Before becoming a coach, Ivy was CEO of Slater Graphics, a NYC printing company, which she scaled to multiple seven figures.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series. Before we begin, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share your backstory and what led you to become the leader you are today?
I wanted to be a dancer, but after an injury ended that dream in my early 20’s, I went into the family business of printing. For over 20 years, I produced marketing and sales collateral for the publishing industry in New York City. This led me to launch my own printing company.
The desire to create a new brand and career started to take shape and I took a big risk and started Slater Success, which is now in its 18th year! I began by working with women business owners just starting out on their entrepreneurial path and that evolved into working with corporations, offering consulting work in scaling organizations, speaking all over the country, writing books and helping businesses build their succession plans.
What’s the “why” that drives your work? How has your personal sense of purpose evolved as your business has grown?
My ‘why’ has always been about supporting my family. My family unit has changed and grown, but I don’t think my purpose has changed at all. You build a great business to build a great life.
My personal sense of purpose remains in being there for whomever needs me and that includes my clients and my family. Just the other day, my daughter needed a babysitter and I was able to step in without hesitation. I rearranged my schedule and took my granddaughter for a rainy afternoon at Barnes and Noble and then handled client calls during her naps.
Let’s now move to the core of our discussion. This series is about balancing purpose, profit, and personal branding. Can you help explain why each of those three matters, and why they can sometimes pull against each other? If possible, share a real example from your experience.
Purpose. When you are out of alignment and life feels confusing, you are probably not following your purpose. We get caught up in life. It’s vital to be clear on your purpose and what you truly want in your career. Purpose matters because it drives everything else. An example for me would be the ability to say to clients “it’s family first” and really mean it.
Profit. When we move too fast, we miss the right opportunities. Money cannot drive everything you do. You have to stop and do a gut check. What do you want and why do you want it? It’s a famous phrase of mine and one that never goes out of style. Scaling takes grit and determination. An example for me would be not taking on clients that I don’t feel fit my brand, regardless of the potential profit.
Personal branding. This will reflect your purpose and your profit. It’s not about what others think. It’s not about doing something competitors are doing or jumping on the next trend. It’s about staying true to the values that brought success your way. An example for me is that I love a new dress for a speaking gig. It’s a confidence boost for me.
Many CEOs focus heavily on strategy and profitability but hesitate to invest in their personal brand. What do you think about that? What have you seen work best?
You have to invest in your personal brand. Think about someone like Richard Branson. He is instantly recognizable and a thought leader because he is putting himself out there consistently.
I have invested in my personal brand by writing books and speaking all over the country. By sharing my expertise, I organically see a better profit and meet people that continue to up my strategy. If you are the leader, your values better be aligned with company values. My personal values of honesty and integrity have always helped me lead and gain clients’ trust and this has become the core business values of my company, Slater Success. Do people know your values? Do you live them? Your team, your clients, your audience, no one should be confused.
What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered about personal branding in the C-suite, and how do you challenge those narratives?
People don’t know — am I speaking for the company or for myself? Let’s say you are on a panel, representing the company and talking to people or speaking at an association or conference. Some leaders feel the need to shield their personal brand. Yet, if your core beliefs aren’t aligned with the company, it will be a challenging fit. Leadership is human and thoughts and beliefs come into play. Join companies you believe in.
What’s one specific way your visibility as a leader, through interviews, speaking, or social media, has directly impacted your organization’s success? Walk us through what happened. How did you know it worked, what changed in measurable terms?
Speaking has been a big one for me. I recently spoke to a group of CEOs and two people came up to me afterward. One told me I didn’t understand their firm and what I was suggesting wouldn’t work. They were operating from a limited mindset. Another person came up to me and said that I truly got it and thanked me for sharing my story, they appreciated my transparency and openness. We ended up working together because our brands aligned.
Balancing profit and purpose is easier said than done. What practices or principles guide your decision-making when those two goals seem to conflict?
Purpose trumps profit. Sometimes that is not always easy to do. It’s not a decision made lightly, but a decision made intentionally. You can lean into money, but that doesn’t help you scale the right way. Check in with yourself and the people that support you and know you. Profit will follow.
Can you share a story about how aligning your personal values with your company’s mission created a breakthrough in performance or growth?
In the early years of building this company, it didn’t work that way. I was focused on the money and helping my family financially. Thankfully, I realized quickly I needed a change. It took me time to talk about money and even share stories of times I lost money in business and even in my personal life. When I started being transparent, I was shocked how potential clients leaned in and actually wanted to work with me. They wanted guidance from a leader who did not just talk, but actually went through the challenging times in business and life. This changed everything. The company started scaling. I stopped hiding and was open to all conversations.
In your view, what separates a leader who simply “runs a company” from one who builds a movement around their message?
I don’t think I set out to build a movement around my message, but that organically happened. By doing the work, I’ve built the movement without realizing it. I see it in the work and the results of the people with whom I work. Running a company is a job that any leader can probably do. Operations, finances, team, it’s similar across any given brand. But creating a movement and bringing people along with you, that is something only a leader with passion and heart can accomplish.
How do you integrate storytelling into your leadership, both internally with your team and externally with your audience or clients?
I have become the ultimate storyteller to my family and to my team. It’s amazing what I share with my clients that I didn’t years ago. I share everything about my life that I think can help them. I still kick off my team meetings with everyone sharing a personal story. I talk to my clients about their businesses, but we also have personal relationship chats about family. Our stories matter, especially with the rise in AI-driven content.
Can you share a time when taking a public stand or sharing your story authentically strengthened your credibility or influence?
I shared stories about times I’ve failed and people said I was strong. I shared stories about mistakes I made in business and people said I was brave. My honesty and my vulnerability are a big piece of my story and I do believe it’s strengthened my credibility and influence. I am going to tell you how it is, even if that includes reliving challenges in my own life. If something I learned can help someone, I am absolutely going to share.
Every time I get on the stage, or through my books, or in chats on my podcast, I tell my stories. The good and the bad. Listeners and readers have consistently leaned in for more information and told me they respect me as a leader, for honest and real conversations.
What are your “Top 5 principles for balancing purpose, profit, and personal visibility?”
1. Trust yourself
The doubt has to stop. The next time your gut says go for it, go for it! This week, try saying yes to something you know you can do, even if you are scared.
2. Trust others
You are not alone. Find your support people and rely on them. This week, ask your team to tell you one thing they would do if they were leading the team.
3. Trust the process
Things take time. Give yourself grace. If you start a podcast or a blog or a social media strategy, allow it to grow. This week, start one new project and stick with it for at least 30 days.
4. Trust your brand
Your company values and mission was put into place for a reason. Don’t change for anyone. This week, review your core values and maybe even print them out and put them on the wall for a daily reminder.
5. Trust your dreams
You want more and you deserve it. You’ve gotten this far, why not farther? This week, research and start to build the plan for your next big move.
Finally, if you could summarize your leadership philosophy in one sentence, what would it be — and why?
Lead, but listen. Enter every opportunity or challenge with an open heart. This sentence sums up what I try to do every single day.
How can our readers continue to follow you or your company online?
https://slatersuccess.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivyslater/
https://www.facebook.com/slatersuccesscoaching
https://www.instagram.com/ivyslaterssc/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ8b1sGnADlpFE2NrqUfToQ
Thank you for sharing these insights!
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
The New CEO Playbook: Ivy Slater of Slater Success On Balancing Purpose, Profit, and Personal Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.