Why a REF CEO Peer Forum with Scott Thornton

Ep 18 | Running a company can be lonely, especially for mid-market leaders who feel too big to be small and too small to be big. That isolation is the problem peer forums solve. In Temecula Valley, a second CEO peer group is launching, facilitated by a current member who has lived the struggle. The group offers confidential, no-competitor support where leaders can process real-time cases and get perspective without judgment. The new facilitator built Temecula Nelson, a plumbing wholesale company, from $3 million to $13 million in sales over a decade. He also wrote two poetry books, You're okay. and Love, A Many Splintered, and created The Men's Den, a confidential circle of trust for men, plus A Stepping Stone, which helps people find the right coach or therapist. His journey shows why peer support matters. Peer forums work through monthly half-day meetings and Tiger Team Scrums that spin out for urgent situations. The broader CXO Exchange Temecula Valley serves mid-market CEOs and C-suite leaders with an invitation-only, free annual summit on November 17 at Wilson Creek Winery, featuring Olympian Michelle Cameron-Coulter. Members stay for years because the relationships become irreplaceable. The goal is collective intelligence and fewer lonely decisions. Highlights • Second CEO peer group launching in Temecula Valley, facilitated by a current member. • Temecula Nelson grew from $3 million to $13 million in sales over a decade. • The Men's Den gives men a confidential space to share without fixing or labeling. • A Stepping Stone connects stuck people to the right coach or therapist. • Tiger Team Scrums rally the group between monthly meetings for urgent cases. • CXO Summit is invitation-only, free, and targets mid-market CEOs and C-suite. Important Concepts and Frameworks • CEO Peer Group — A confidential, non-competing group of CEOs who process high-stakes decisions together. • Case Processing — A structured hour where peers focus on one member's real-time business challenge. • Tiger Team Scrum — A spin-out meeting between monthly forums to rally around an urgent member situation. • Forum Leader — A trained facilitator who runs a peer group and guides members through cases. • Big Small Companies — Mid-market firms too small to be big and too big to be small. • CXO Exchange Temecula Valley — A regional community for mid-market CEOs and C-suite leaders. Tools & Resources Mentioned • REF (Renaissance Executive Forums) — Peer forum organization Mike joined as an equity partner in San Diego. • CXO Exchange Temecula Valley — Regional community and event series for mid-market CEOs and C-suite leaders. • The Men's Den — Confidential peer circle for men to share struggles without labels or fixes. • A Stepping Stone — Mentoring service that connects stuck people to the right coach or therapist. • Wilson Creek Winery — Vineyard and event venue hosting the poetry launch and CXO Summit. https://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/ • CXO Summit — Invitation-only, free annual conference for mid-market CEOs and C-suite leaders. Calls to Action 1. If you lead a mid-market company, seek out a true peer forum rather than another networking mixer. 2. Attend the invitation-only CXO Summit on November 17 at Wilson Creek Winery. 3. Start a confidential circle of trust if you lack a place to be honest about leadership struggles. 4. Ask a potential forum leader whether they have been a member and a CEO themselves. Key Quotes • "So it's very lonely at the top. But as you said, it doesn't have to be" — Mike Richardson • "And to band together and support each other, it just blew my mind." — Scott Thornton • "I call it The Men's Den, and it's, it's like Vegas." — Scott Thornton • "I can't even do that with my spouse, partner, significant other, 'cause I'll freak them out." — Mike Richardson • "I figured out my passion in this life. The reason I was put here is to help people." — Scott Thornton • "You just gotta learn how to navigate those and eventually lean into who you are as a person" — Scott Thornton Chapters 00:00 — A Second CEO Peer Group Comes to Temecula Valley 04:21 — Why Running a Business Feels So Hard 07:29 — From $3 Million to $13 Million in Plumbing Wholesale 09:11 — The CEO Who Secretly Writes Poetry 13:55 — Creating a Confidential Space for Men 17:23 — From IT Help Desk to Company President 20:05 — The Loneliness of the CEO Seat 27:39 — How a Real-Time Case Gets Processed 31:28 — From Peer Group Member to Forum Leader 41:05 — Inside the Invitation-Only CXO Summit This Episode's Guest: Scott Thornton LinkedIn:   / scottwthornton   Website: https://scott-thornton.com/ Your Host Mike Richardson – Agility, Peer Power & Collective Intelligence Website: https://mikerichardson.live/ LinkedIn:   / agilityexpertmikerichardson