About Us

Affiliations & Membership:

OD Network, ASTD, SHRM, HRMAC, Center for Creative Leadership,
Association Forum of Chicago

Steve Wyrostek, President

With a 28 year successful track record working for national insurance giants, Steve began his career as an entry level supervisor who rose up the ranks to Vice-President of Processing Services. Steve managed all
levels of professional and clerical employees and gained a reputation as the leader who could “fix” troubled operations. In 2004 Steve entered the entrepreneurial market and hit the ground running. Applying the
experience he gained from corporate America, Steve launched a series of successful ventures, Club Z! Tutoring Franchise, a partnership in Fahey/Wyrostek Joint Venture, Inc, and Rent-A-Manager, Inc.

His newest company, Gentle Ears marks a convergence of his lexicon and skills.

Steve brings experience in all aspects of running a small business including, developing business plans, hiring and retaining employees, finances, planning, customer service and operations. In addition, his experience includes competencies in the following areas:

• Line and Staff Management
• Employee Relations
• Hiring, Matching and Retaining the Right Employees
• Customer Service
• Entrepreneur and Business Owner
• The Financial Aspects of Business
• Building a Business
• Change Management
• Strategic Planning
• Coaching and Mentoring

Steve has a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Illinois in Chicago and an M.B.A from Amberton University in Texas. A management aficionado, Steve writes regular columns for the Business Ledger, a bi-monthly business publication in the Chicago area. Steve is also a founding member of The Houndz, a sixties, original music, rock band. He also has a novel with an original soundtrack called Afterlife Crisis, being published in 2008.

Rita Wyrostek, Vice President

With a 15 year successful track record working for commercial insurance organizations, Rita began her career in the human relations industry and became a certified executive coach. Rita’s expertise spans from strategic planning, redesign, change management, professional development, and managing processing, marketing, and new product development areas. Rita has a training background in both corporations and academia.

Her extensive background paired with her wide-range of professional perspectives enables her to offer business solutions that facilitate open communication and engage high-performing employees. Additional areas of experience include:

• Executive Leadership Development
• Engagement & Retention Strategy
• Career Development Planning & Coaching
• Strategy and Business Planning
• Management Development
• Professional Development

Rita earned a Bachelors Degree in English from University of Illinois and a Masters Degree in Education from Northeastern University. She is certified as an executive coach using a wide variety of assessment tools such as: 360's, Myers-Briggs, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, FIRO-B (Leadershop), and DISC Communication.