John D. Laslavic, LPBC
Business Coach / President

John is the owner of ThistleSea Business Development, LLC and is a Licensed Professional Business Coach. He also serves as the Managing Director for the Pittsburgh office of ACT Capital Advisors. He has extensive experience in developing successful businesses.

John started, successfully grew and managed five companies over his 30 year career. These include national, regional and local for-profit and not-for-profit corporations of various types. He was a co-founder of Amerinet that grew to manage purchasing agreements of over $8 billion in hospital and health care organization member purchases. Also, John successfully co-authored a business plan for a start-up software company raising over $5.5 million in institutional venture capital. His expertise includes senior management positions in operations management, retail, manufacturing, health care, strategic supply chain management, association management, sales, marketing, publishing, printing, purchasing, software development and education.

He holds degrees in business management and economics as well as extensive training and experience in industrial engineering, quality management, education and association management. He holds certifications as a Guerrilla Marketer and Client Builder Sales coach and association education.

John’s passion for business started when he worked in his youth for his uncle’s family-owned pet supply distributorship. Those early experiences helped shape his passion for business, and that spirit and passion to assist businesses is still strong today.

John is a board member of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh Foundation and a past board chair of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Professional Business Coaches Alliance (PBCA) and was a recipient of the PBCA's Founder's Coaches Legend Award. Click here to contact John.


Wendy O. Lydon, LPBC
Business Coach / Senior Vice President

Wendy’s background and expertise combines astute strategic, business and project/program management skills with over 20 years' experience in business, association management, consultancy and analysis that enables her to assist clients to generate revenue and profit growth.

She is a collaborative leader skilled in motivating clients and their staff to achieve aggressive goals and objectives. She has a global business operational perspective through exposure to diverse business protocols and markets. She led highly successful sales, recruitment and retention initiatives that grew new sales initiatives to as much as $350 million in top line growth. She is skilled in product and market development with solid background in customer relationship management (CRM), sales, marketing and customer service.

Wendy brings ThistleSea Business Development business and executive clients expertise in business, health care, medical group practices, group purchasing, association management, distribution, food service, franchise operations, medical waste and behavioral mental health.

Wendy holds a degree in business and information systems from Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA. In addition, her expertise includes formal training in leadership, association management, supply chain, consultative sales, customer service, teamwork, telemarketing, strategic planning, human resources and healthcare legislation.

In addition to working with clients, she is highly involved developing the CNICUS Buying Group initiative and providing marketing services to ThistleSea Business Development clients. Click here to contact Wendy.


Jayne H. Huston, LPBC
Business Executive Coach / Vice President

As a certified coach and facilitator of peer learning groups for multi-million dollar women-led companies, Jayne H. Huston is especially focused on being an advocate for executive women, entrepreneurs and their success.

As part of the ThistleSea team, Jayne is growing businesses and developing professionals across the country through coaching, mentoring and consulting services from the firm’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area location where she has been recognized as a finalist in the Central Penn Business Journal’s “Reader Rankings” Professional Services/Executive Coach category.

Jayne promotes women’s entrepreneurship as Chapter Chair for the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) Lancaster Chapter. The global resource for multi-million dollar women led companies, has a mission to accelerate business growth, enhance competitiveness and promote economic security for businesses through confidential and collaborative peer-learning groups. Jayne also served as founder and Chapter Chair of WPO Harrisburg and WPO Greenburg, PA. She currently represents her peers on the WPO International Advisory Board.

Prior to relocating to South Central Pennsylvania, Jayne was Director of Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify women’s business center (Greensburg, PA) where she was responsible for the strategic vision and administrative oversight for this United States Small Business Administration (US SBA) supported women’s business center providing business counseling, education, training and mentoring programs and services. Her International travels include China where she has joined members of the Greensburg WPO Chapter in presenting at an International Business Conference with Chinese women entrepreneurs hosted at the Nanjing University School of Business, Nanjing, China.

Among her recognitions, Jayne has been the recipient of the “Business Women First” Award presented by the Pittsburgh Business Times. She has also received the Women of Achievement Award in Pittsburgh as well as the Gannon University Small Business Development Center’s Legacy Award at the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) Conference in Erie. Jayne has also been recognized as the U.S. SBA’s Women’s Business Advocate, Region III (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia); and counted among the “Top 100 People” and “Entrepreneur of the Year” (Non Profit) by Pennsylvania Business Central. She has also been featured in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Women & Business Section.

Jayne is a member of the Capital Region Advisory Board for S&T Bank, a member of the Leadership Harrisburg Area Board of Directors where she serves as an Alumni Advisor to the Community Leadership Series; a Board member and Strategic Planning Committee member for the Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA and a member of the Advisory Board of the Women’s Business Center at ASSETS, Lancaster.

Jayne’s career path also included a successful health care marketing communications career and a stint as Executive Director of the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce in Western PA. She is a graduate of Leadership Harrisburg Areas’ Executive Leadership Series and Leadership Pittsburgh. Jayne earned an MBA from Seton Hill University and a BA in Journalism and Communications from Point Park University, Pittsburgh. She and her husband, Larry, who have three adult children and four grandchildren live near Hershey PA. Click here to contact Jayne.


Dave Carlson, MPM
Business Coach / Director

Most recently, Dave was a partner for 10 years in a diversified co-packing and store brand bottled water manufacturer, Creekside Springs, LLC. Combining this rewarding ownership experience with his prior 25 years career in brand and product management, advertising, and marketing, helps fuel his desire to collaborate while leading positive change. This led him to the ThistleSea Business Development team.

Dave’s primary role at Creekside Springs was leading the sales, marketing, and HR functions. During his tenure, the firm enjoyed consistent customer and volume growth while being recognized for best practices and supplier leadership (winner of small company Manufacturer of the Year in 2013 by the Pittsburgh Business Times). As Creekside operated under the Safe Quality Food (SQF) program standards, it had the requisite operational performance standards and structure for successful supply relationships with multiple leading retailers and brand owners.

Prior to Creekside, Dave’s focus was on brand and product management at leading advertising and marketing communications firms (Mullen and Dymun & Co.) and consumer products companies (Clorox and PPG Industries). He was an active participant and often a team leader developing and implementing intrusive communications platforms for several consumer products and home improvement brands, healthcare organizations, medical devices, and non-profit organizations.

Dave’s expertise includes benchmarking and SWOT analysis, forecasting and analysis, marketing plan development and implementation, pricing, packaging and collateral strategy design and development, project management, new product ideation and launches, and business management. In addition, his expertise includes formal training in leadership, supply chain, consultative sales, customer service, teamwork, strategic planning, and human resources.

He was a past Board Member of the Manufacturer and Business Association and past Board Chair of the Economy Borough Municipal Authority. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science from UCLA and a Master of Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dave’s analytical approach coupled with his intuitive business expertise enable him to identify meaningful areas for improvement and collaborate to accomplish goals and objectives with a variety of people and organizations. His energy and enthusiasm will drive you and your team to transform and improve your business. Click here to contact Dave.