Denise Heidel and Tim Beeman welcome Virgil Dwyer of TCS Leadership to discuss the critical importance of leadership development in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Virgil, a certified John Maxwell coach with over two decades of military experience and a current full-time pastor at First Baptist Church in Stanleyville, brings a unique perspective to leadership training rooted in servant-leadership principles. The conversation explores the three fundamental questions every employee wants answered about their leader: Can you help me? Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Virgil emphasizes that servant-leadership isn’t just one style among many; it’s the only true form of leadership.

The episode tackles modern leadership challenges, from managing intergenerational workforces to adapting to unprecedented market changes where long-term planning has shrunk from 5-10 years to just 12-18 months. Virgil discusses how leaders must become lifelong learners, constantly developing themselves before they can effectively develop their teams. The conversation touches on common organizational pitfalls, such as promoting top performers into leadership roles they’re not suited for, and the critical importance of identifying blind spots through external coaching and objective assessment. Virgil shares insights from working with tools like John Maxwell’s materials, Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius, and other leadership frameworks to create customized development plans.

Perhaps most compelling are the statistics Virgil shares about the return on investment in leadership development. The episode emphasizes that leaders must invest in their own growth, learn to delegate effectively, and create systems that allow them to step away without everything falling apart. Virgil’s philosophy is clear: you can’t give what you don’t have, and the best investment any business can make is developing leadership from within through intentional, ongoing training.

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Produced by our Partner, Tim Beeman of Such-N-Such Media.
Recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza.

The post Enhance Your Leadership in 2026 With Virgil Dwyer first appeared on Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber Podcast.

Denise Heidel and Tim Beeman sit down with Denise’s personal friend, John Richardson, to discuss the upcoming AI workshops at the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce. Despite Denise’s admitted reluctance about AI technology, she trusts John to present a balanced perspective on this rapidly evolving topic, thanks to his 27 years in the IT industry. The conversation opens with honest skepticism about AI’s impact on creative industries, from voiceovers to music composition, while acknowledging the undeniable reality that AI is here to stay and businesses need to understand how to navigate it responsibly.

John shares fascinating insights into how AI actually works, explaining the difference between AI-generated responses and traditional search engines. He demonstrates AI’s practical applications through his own experience building an iOS and Android app using technologies he’d never worked with before, leveraging AI to accelerate development while still applying human expertise to verify and refine the results. The discussion touches on critical concerns like copyright protection, plagiarism, and the importance of maintaining human creativity and critical thinking in an AI-driven world. John even reveals his late-night “virtual battles” with AI agents, as well as his sometimes strong, colorful words at them, to get accurate results.

The episode previews two chamber workshops scheduled for 2026: “An Introduction to AI” on February 17th and “Next Steps in AI” on November 17th. John emphasizes the importance of understanding how to use AI safely in business contexts, particularly around data security and protecting sensitive information from potential threats. While AI offers tremendous efficiency gains for those who know how to use it properly, John stresses that you can’t remove the human element, and users must be able to discern good information from bad and verify AI-generated content against their own expertise.

Be sure to subscribe! Like, rate, review.
Follow Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce on Instagram and Facebook.

Produced by our Partner, Tim Beeman of Such-N-Such Media.
Recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza.

The post All About AI with John Richardson first appeared on Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber Podcast.

Denise Heidel and Tim Beeman dive into the art of effective networking, sharing insights from an upcoming chamber workshop on networking best practices. Denise opens up about her journey from being naturally shy and uncomfortable with networking to embracing it as one of the chamber’s most valuable benefits. The conversation explores Dale Carnegie’s timeless wisdom: you can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get them interested in you—a principle that transforms networking from a sales pitch into genuine relationship building.

The episode covers essential networking fundamentals, from body language and confident handshakes to the importance of showing up early and staying late at events. Denise and Tim discuss the balance between giving and receiving in networking situations, emphasizing that successful networkers focus on being a resource rather than constantly promoting themselves. They share practical tips like taking notes on business cards to remember personal details, scheduling strategic one-on-ones instead of trying to befriend everyone at once, and delegating networking responsibilities when necessary to maximize both effectiveness and time management.

The Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce has significantly expanded its networking opportunities, now offering five weekly leads groups, biweekly Zoom sessions, and monthly events at various times throughout the day. Tim and Denise address the common “too busy to network” excuse with a brilliant rebuttal: if you’re too busy to network, who should people send leads to instead? The conversation emphasizes that networking is an investment, not a time suck, and remains foundational to the chamber’s mission of helping businesses connect, grow, and thrive in the community.

Be sure to subscribe! Like, rate, review.
Follow Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce on Instagram and Facebook.

Produced by our Partner, Tim Beeman of Such-N-Such Media.
Recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza.

The post Leads Group Best Practices first appeared on Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber Podcast.