Behind the Scenes of Success
Live conversations. Real success stories. Insight you can actually use.
Saturday,
January 24, 2026
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Brick & Mortar Glen Ellyn
411 N Main St, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, USA
Parking is conveniently available along the street or in the garage directly across from the main entrance.
Level Up Lab Begins In
Meet the Voices Behind Level Up Week
Catch their sessions on-air during the week, rewatch clips here, then shake their hand Saturday at Level Up Lab.
Scotty Kay is a Chicago-born entertainer and nationally syndicated radio host with over 20 years in radio and nearly 30 years in the entertainment industry. He currently hosts top-rated afternoon radio shows in Chicago, Minneapolis–St. Paul, and Buffalo, NY, along with a nationally syndicated weekend program.
In addition to radio, Scotty appears regularly on television and is a sought-after emcee and DJ for live events worldwide. His television credits include So You Think You Can Dance, American Ninja Warrior, Bar Rescue, Four Weddings, The Real Housewives of Dallas, and multiple local network productions.
Scotty is a three-time Academy of Country Music nominee, Three-time Country Music Association nominee, and a two-time Best of Chicago On-Air Personality of the Year honoree. He lives in Chicago with his wife, teenage son, and two rescue dogs. Scotty loves to workout, snowboard, and buy more gadgets then he will ever need.
Scotty is also an advocate and Emcee for organizations including Susan G. Komen, Autism Speaks, the American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and St. Jude.
Scotty will take the reins as host of Level Up Week—spotlighting each Brick & Mortar entrepreneurial expert in on-air conversations throughout the week, then bringing them together for a live, in-person discussion at Saturday’s Level Up Lab. With his signature mix of charisma, curiosity, and authenticity, Scotty has a knack for drawing out real stories and meaningful insights that help attendees level up how they work, lead, and grow.
John Fairclough has built a career creating systems that work. The chaos of life pushed him to develop order where it was missing, sharpening these skills across companies he founded, acquired, or turned around. Early on, without capital, he learned to operate under constant pressure, optimizing performance out of necessity. That mindset evolved into SmartSpend™, a verifiable system for lowering costs while improving performance, now trusted by some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
John also realized that optimizing systems wasn’t enough—leaders needed to optimize themselves. Through his MyOS™ framework, he helps leaders realign with who they truly are to lead with authenticity, integrity, and impact. By defining their own version of a good person and setting smart boundaries, leaders quiet anxiety, trust themselves, and make confident decisions.
He’s also built a rapidly growing platform on YouTube for an audience of high achievers who are finding success but losing themselves in the process. His goal is to help people restore identity, build resilience, and place peace at the center of their definition of success. As John says, “When you are you, everything around you gets better.”
John will bring these insights to the forefront during Level Up Week, helping participants turn chaos into structure, lead authentically, and make confident decisions while optimizing performance. Drawing from his own journey—navigating challenges, building scalable systems, and uncovering inner resilience—he’ll inspire attendees to strengthen themselves as leaders and create systems that help both people and businesses thrive.
Brick & Mortar Member Since 2021
Leadership Beyond The Grind
Broadcast Time (CT)
Mark Phillips is the Founder and Managing Partner of 11 Tribes Ventures. In his role, he supports the team’s efforts across all aspects of the firm including investing, fundraising, and operations. His personal passion lies in helping those around him – whether it’s the 11 Tribes team or the founders they invest in – discover and activate their unique purpose in life. These moments of connection and clarity are the most rewarding aspects of his work.
Mark’s journey to venture capital was anything but conventional. He began his career as a strategy consultant, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Recognizing that the ceaseless travel was not a sustainable path, he pivoted to pursue his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
While at Booth, Mark embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by launching his first company. The experience that followed was a profound lesson in the volatile and unpredictable nature of the founder’s path, ultimately culminating with the company’s failure. While grappling with the disappointment of this business outcome, Mark found himself even more shaken by the identity crisis that had crept its way into his mind. He was crushed under the weight of being a failed founder. It was in this season of reflection that he began to grasp the meaning of the ancient truth “what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
Motivated to help others avoid, or at least mitigate, this same pain, Mark set out to build 11 Tribes, the firm where capital and care converge. Today, Mark lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with his wife Emily and their three boys. He is learning to love the quiet of the early morning, has become a passionate consumer of all things leadership, and is fascinated by what he calls the power law of people.
During Level Up Week, Mark will demystify venture capital, exploring what it is, why founders might choose to raise capital this way, and who is the right fit for venture funding. Drawing on his own experiences as a founder and investor, he’ll provide insights into the opportunities, risks, and mindset needed to navigate the venture landscape successfully, helping participants make informed decisions about growth and capital for their own ventures.
Visit Website
Brick & Mortar Member Since 2024
Understanding and Raising Capital
Broadcast Time (CT)
Shellane Sauer Tilton is the founder of BeeSocial, an all-female social media agency based in Chicago. Founded in 2017 to give small businesses access to high-quality content creators without big agency pricing, BeeSocial has grown into a team serving over 60 clients across 13 states. The agency works as an extension of each client’s business development team, helping businesses attract new customers and increase revenue through social media awareness and bringing strategy, creativity, and consistency to every brand they touch. BeeSocial is known for high-touch service and custom content designed to build real, organic reach within local markets.
During Level Up Week, Shellane will show participants how to use social media as a modern business development channel. She’ll break down what most emerging businesses miss about social media and revenue growth, highlight what actually works, and clarify what social media should—and shouldn’t—be doing for your business. Attendees will learn how to make social media feel less like noise and more like a tool for real growth, helping them connect with the right audience and drive meaningful results.
Brick & Mortar Member Since 2022
Social Media That Matters
Broadcast Time (CT)
Eric graduated from the University of Illinois in 2002 with a Bachelors and Masters in Accountancy and earned his Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) accreditation in that same year. Eric started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Business Advisory services practice where most of his time was spent auditing public and private companies in the real estate sector. In 2005, Eric joined the Crisis Management group within FTI Consulting’s Corporate Finance practice where he provided turnaround advisory services for public and private companies. During his time at FTI, Eric spent his nights and weekends building out the brokerage and construction (Cubed Construction) business lines that ultimately rounded out 33’s integrated suite of services.
In late 2011, after a long run in Corporate America, Eric entered the real estate industry as co-owner of 33 and founder of Cubed Construction. Also in 2011, he co-founded 33 Capital Partners, the investment and syndication arm of 33 Realty. Borrowing on the vast network of private real estate investors, hedge funds and private equity firms he built during his time in Corporate America, Eric set out to begin syndicating opportunistic real estate investments. What started with an acquisition of a 3-flat in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, has evolved into a variety of value-add multifamily, office, condo and mixed-use investments throughout the Midwest.
In 2022, 33’s property management, maintenance and leasing divisions were acquired by a West Coast-based firm, Poplar Homes. Eric remains close with Poplar’s executive team and their equity backers, LL Funds, helping them chart strategies to national growth and integration of their property management operations nationwide.
Following the sale to Poplar, Eric has redirected his time to focus on acquisitions, equity syndication and capital structuring under his new real estate development and investment company, Cubed Real Estate. He also remains President of Cubed Construction and continues to perform construction services for Cubed properties and other equity partners.
Outside of real estate, Eric is an avid supporter of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago and serves as their Board Chairman He is also a father and coach to 4 highly energetic kids and husband to Megan, who has been his rock since he began the pursuit of his entrepreneurial dreams back in 2011.
During Level Up Week, Eric will share his journey from corporate professional to entrepreneur, highlighting his leap into Cubed Construction and the path that led to its growth and eventual acquisition. He’ll reflect on the challenges, successes, and pivotal moments that shaped his journey, offering a firsthand look at what it takes to embrace opportunity, navigate risk, and create lasting impact. Attendees will leave inspired by his story and motivated to pursue their own ventures with confidence and vision.
Brick & Mortar Member Since 2023
From Corporate To Entrepreneur
Broadcast Time (CT)
Brian “Z” Zisook is a veteran of the music industry and the co-founder of Audiomack, an artist-first music streaming and audio discovery platform boasting 50 million monthly users worldwide. Under Zisook’s leadership as EVP of Global Operations and Head of Artist & Label Services, Audiomack stands out as a leading player in the global music streaming space. He oversees a team of 12 across four continents and manages relationships with more than 400 record labels and distribution partners, including UMG, WMG, SME, and Merlin.
Before co-founding Audiomack, Zisook served as the VP and Editor-in-Chief of DJBooth, a New York-based digital music publication and media house he launched with Audiomack co-founder David Macli. Over 19 years, Zisook and Macli transformed DJBooth from a niche website into an industry leader in long-form music journalism, achieving 8 million monthly page views at its peak and generating annual revenue exceeding $1 million. In 2020, DJBooth entered into a content partnership with Audiomack.
Zisook’s extensive experience in the music industry includes conducting over 500 interviews with artists and industry professionals, including J. Cole, PUSHA-T, Big Sean, Rick Ross, John Legend, Nipsey Hussle, DJ Khaled, and Anderson .Paak, among others. In recognition of his contributions to the music industry, the Recording Academy selected Zisook as part of its new member class in 2022.
During Level Up Week, Brian will serve as our business development expert, sharing practical insights on turning untapped potential into meaningful results, connecting the right people with the right resources, and helping teams move faster and smarter.
Brick & Mortar Member Since 2023
Purposeful Business Development
Broadcast Time (CT)
Level Up Week
A week-long professional development experience featuring real conversations with local experts—culminating in a live community event designed to elevate how you work, lead, and grow.
What You’ll Learn
- Social media & personal brand growth
- Capital raising & business development
- Leadership and scaling strategies
- Real-world insights from proven operators
Who It’s For
- Entrepreneurs and business builders
- Professionals leveling up their careers
- Leaders and future leaders
- Curious minds ready for their next chapter
How to Join
- Tune in all week on US99 and social channels
- Register for the live event:
- Saturday, January 24 | 10 AM–2 PM
Live Panel with Experts at 12:30 PM
- Saturday, January 24 | 10 AM–2 PM
Secure Your Spot for Level Up Lab
Register below to attend Level Up Lab and receive event updates
Level Up Lab Registration
Spots are limited — secure yours now
Join our experts on
Saturday January 24 from 10 AM - 2 PM.
Be part of the Level Up Week experience
Complimentary Headshot Reservation
Reserve a time slot for a complimentary professional headshot during Saturday's Level Up Lab
Headshots provided by Lisa Kay Photography
+1k
Join the community
With special thanks to our event sponsors
