Answers from the Stairs
Welcome to Answers from the Stairs, an off-the-cuff chat with host Chris Vester. Chris is here to provide insight on all areas of your life; whether it be your business, your relationship, or your health. He believes that everyone can find their purpose and beat mediocrity by realizing their God-given talents. Chris is a long-time business owner and coach with the experience to help others like him to reach their potential.Tune in each week for tips on how to find all the answers you seek and believe in what you do.
E58: The Guidance Through Guardianship with Robert Frehafer
00:00 Intro
10:26 Manipulating trust
20:30 Impactful Decisions
30:40 Guardian of the people
40:08 The view from 30,000 feetÂ
E59: Milestones with Avery Vester
In this special episode of Answers from the Stairs, Chris sits down with his daughter, Avery Vester, just days before one of life’s biggest moments—her wedding. With honesty, warmth, and reflection, they explore the milestones that shape us, the lessons learned along the way, and the beauty found in stepping into the next chapter.
00:00 Intro: A father-daughter moment before the walk down the aisle—celebrating life, love, and what comes next.10:06 Working Experience: How early professional moments shaped Avery’s mindset, growth, and resilience.20:10 The Art in the Unknown: Embracing uncertai...E57: Culture Identity with Jay Doran
In this thought-provoking episode of Answers from the Stairs, we sit down with culture expert and thought leader Jay Doran to unpack the powerful relationship between personal identity, leadership, and organizational culture. Through raw conversation and real-life insight, Jay shares how our values, upbringing, and mindset shape not only who we are—but the environments we create.
00:00 Intro: Introducing Jay Doran and setting the stage for a conversation on identity and impact.10:20 Fatherly Advice: How foundational wisdom shapes character, confidence, and core values.20:35 Training for Growth: The importance of self-development and intentional le...Episode 56: Executive Decisions with Rob Dayton
In this powerful episode of Answers from the Stairs, Rob Dayton joins the conversation to discuss the weight of executive decisions—both in business and in life. From trusting your instincts to rediscovering identity, this discussion dives into the challenges and triumphs that come with making high-stakes choices.
00:00 Intro: Setting the stage for a deep dive into leadership, purpose, and faith-driven decisions.10:45 Following Your Heart: The balance between intuition, logic, and making decisions that align with your values.21:15 Natural God-Given Talent: Recognizing and embracing the unique gifts that set you apart.30:20 Lo...Episode 55: Catching and Landing with Brian Hess
In this insightful episode of Answers from the Stairs, Brian Hess joins the conversation to break down the power of resilience, perspective, and the lessons life throws our way. From overcoming challenges to embracing unexpected wisdom, we explore what it means to truly "catch and land" the experiences that shape us.
Minute Markers:
00:00 Intro: Setting the stage for a conversation on learning, adapting, and growing through life’s experiences.10:14 Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: How first impressions can be deceiving and why looking deeper matters.20:20 Too Much...Episode 54: Surfing Waves of Growth with Todd Smith
In this episode of Answers from the Stairs, we welcome Todd Smith to explore the dynamic journey of personal and professional growth—comparing it to the art of surfing life’s waves. Todd shares his experiences, insights, and hard-earned lessons on navigating the highs and lows of success with resilience and purpose.
[10:20] Get Deep into Yourself – Todd discusses the importance of self-awareness and inner work as the foundation for long-term growth.[20:54] Riding Mountains – Just like in surfing, some waves are bigger than others. Todd shares how he’s tackled challenges and made the most of life’s...Episode 53: Fail Forward with Scott Gunnel
In this episode of Answers From The Stairs, host Chris Vester sits down with Scott Gunnel for an insightful conversation about education, curiosity, and the lessons learned through both triumph and adversity.
🔹 00:00 – Intro
Chris introduces Scott Gunnel and sets the stage for a deep dive into his experiences and perspectives.
🔹 10:33 – Educational Work Experience
Scott shares how his journey through education and hands-on work experience shaped his approach to business, leadership, and problem-solving.
🔹 20:50 – The Aspect of Curiosity
Curiosity isn’t just a personality tra...
Episode 52: Inner Me is Your Enemy
On this final episode of Answers from the Stairs, Chris talks about his year-long journey of making his inspirational videos, finding time to make them, and what motivated him to start in the first place. Topics include evaluating our own daily habits and routines, how to adapt and keep a healthy morning routine, expanding your exposure to information, why stimulating both physical and mental development is important, and how to tune out your inner enemy. Key points:Why Chris made the decision to share his morning routine The idea of your "inner me" being an enemy when you start to li...
Episode 51: Conflict is Necessary
This week's episode of Answers from the Stairs is a special compilation of Chris's most important messages and guidance. Chris talks about how conflict is necessary, personal development as a team activity, and his experiences with this and bringing people together. This is important in order to build accountability and transparency within your team or community. Once the individual team members are working on themselves, they can also come together to create something even greater. Key points:The idea of "constructive conflict" handling tension and spreading unityThe importance of experiencing and dealing with conflict/confrontationHow both individuals and their affiliated t...
Episode 50: Are You Truly Prepared?
In this episode, Chris talks about On this week's episode, Chris talks about the real reason people train. Sometimes, there is no competition or show. Completing challenges for ourselves with the goal of keeping a routine while also maintaining physical and mental health, also gives us a heightened sense of mental gain and being able to overcome any obstacles that life may throw at us. Key points:Why training is more than just strengthening your body Train like no one's watching, and compete with yourself firstHow training and completing challenges helps us build stronger mindsets and achievable routines The heightened sen...
