Join the Premier CEO Peer Group in San Diego Vested in Your Success
Scaling a company is a lonely journey. The BEST CEO Group provides the collective intelligence and radical accountability you need to lead with certainty.
THE BEST CEO GROUP
You Don’t Have to Make the Toughest Decisions Alone
A private peer group for CEOs and business owners who want real perspectives, practical solutions and a higher level of accountability.
Work through your real business challenges with experienced peers
Connect with a hyper-local group of San Diego CEOs and business owners
Get clear, practical next steps you can actually implement
Gain fresh perspectives you won’t get from your team or board
- All information submitted is strictly confidential and viewed only by Joe Phillips.
| The BEST CEO Group | Vistage Traditional CEO Peer Group | |
|---|---|---|
Group Composition | 10–12 CEOs / Business Owners A focused, non-competing group of local leaders. | Up to 16 Members Larger peer groups, may include broader roles or industries. |
Location | Hyper-Local: San Diego A group of CEOs and business owners in the San Diego region. | Regional or National Group members may be from a wider geographic area. |
Meeting Format | Hands-On Issue Processing The majority of time is spent on members’ real business challenges. | Peer Advisory + Expert Speakers Group meetings combine peer advisory work and expert presentations. |
Time Commitment | Half-Day, Once a Month Focused working session from 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM. | Full-Day Group Meetings A larger monthly time commitment. |
Group Leadership | Joe Philips, Every Time Joe personally leads all BEST CEO Groups. | Independent Vistage Chair Your experience depends in part on the individual Chair. |
Facilitator CEO Experience | 23 Years Running Businesses Experience with companies from $4M – $900M, including three turnarounds. | Varies by Chair Chairs come from diverse executive and leadership backgrounds. |
1-to-1 Mentoring | 2 Hours Every Month Dedicated one-on-one CEO session with Joe. | Monthly 1-to-1 Coaching Private executive coaching with your Vistage Chair. |
Confidential & Trust-Based | A Safe, Private Environment Open, honest discussions with peers who understand your world. | Confidential by Design Group confidentiality is a core part of the Vistage experience. |
Accountability & Progress | Action-Oriented and Practical Leave with clear next steps and accountability between meetings. | Varies by Chair Accountability structure and follow-up can differ by group. |
Structured, results-driven format designed to respect the schedule of a busy founder
How the CEO Group Works
Our meetings aren’t social gatherings; they are 5.5-hour deep dives into the mechanics of your leadership and the health of your enterprise. The majority of our time together is spent discussing real issues and challenges that our CEOs face.
Monthly Intensive
We meet once a month for a focused, 5.5-hour session designed for maximum ROI.
The Monthly Brief
Every CEO provides a high-level update on progress, obstacles, and previously processed issues.
The Deep Dive Host
One CEO hosts each month, presenting their "One-Page Business Plan" for rigorous group critique.
Issue Processing
We tackle 3–4 urgent, real-world issues per meeting using a structured, brain-based methodology.
Radical Transparency
A "zero-conflict" environment where you get the unvarnished truth from people who have been there.
Actionable Accountability
Every session ends with specific commitments that are tracked and reviewed at the next meeting.
Beyond networking—this is a high-velocity strategic laboratory
San Diego CEO Peer Advisory
Our sessions are held in-person, providing a high-touch environment that Zoom calls can’t replicate. This San Diego-specific focus allows for deeper local networking and face-to-face coaching.
The majority of our time together is spent solving real-world challenges in real-time. We foster a confidential environment of peers who know your strengths and weaknesses, offering a perspective you can’t get from employees or a board of investors. This is where “The Hero Fallacy” ends and collaborative growth begins.
One-on-One Coaching
The Master Practitioner Advantage
Unlike traditional facilitators, Joe Phillips is a Master Practitioner specializing in Emotional Intelligence (EQ). We don’t just talk about EBITDA; we solve the human friction that slows down scaling. A high-IQ strategy will fail without a high-EQ leadership team.
In addition to the monthly group session, members can receive optional private, San Diego Executive Coaching with Joe each month. These sessions are designed to go deeper into your personal leadership bottlenecks, refine your strategic vision, and ensure you are executing the commitments made to your peer group.
Looking for something lower level for Small Business or your Executive Team?
We also offer an Executive Key Group designed for C-level executives (CFOs, CTOs, CIOs) and small business owners who do not yet meet the CEO Group criteria.