Art Zeile

President, Chief Executive Officer & Director, Dixie

Search every verified Art Zeile interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2012 interview on *The Leadership Lattice*, Art Zeile discussed his approach to entrepreneurship and leadership at Hosting.com. He described sales as "absolutely paramount" for early-stage companies, noting that entrepreneurs must serve as the "chief salesperson" and that prospects need to believe in them due to the risk involved. Zeile also emphasized the importance of risk tolerance and decision-making under duress, stating that a $50,000 mistake at a small company could affect payroll or survival, whereas the same error would be minor for a larger firm. Zeile characterized himself as the "chief Talent officer" and said his responsibility is to surround himself with people more talented than himself at every level. He and his business partner, Joel Daly, aim to create 50 future CEOs and COOs by constantly adding responsibility to their management team. Zeile described their hiring philosophy, "top grading," which involves a detailed review of a candidate's career progression, performance, and scope of responsibilities. He attributed employee loyalty to shared values and teamwork, noting that he and Daly have shared an office for 19 years to visibly demonstrate that the company exists because of collaboration. Zeile said he focuses on sales, marketing, and finances, while Daly handles operations and engineering.