“Hey! You don’t GET to give up!”
My family tells a story about my mother exclaiming (maybe not so gently): “Hey! You don’t get to give up!” to one of her adult children facing a parenting challenge of their own. This exhortation is just what I need to hear when tempted to give in to discouragement.
I was reminded of this story after hearing from so many of you this week. You aren’t giving up. You continue to figure out how to keep your family businesses going and how to keep your employees healthy and your families strong. I’m inspired by your resilience!
Zooming with peer groups
This week we’ve been focused on the "now" (community and helping one another) and the "later" (speculating about the future). That was the theme for this week's Peer Group Summit: “Now and Later."
The Summit was originally designed to be an in-person meeting for all our peer group members, but after COVID hit we had to pivot (over-used word of the month) and go virtual.
Here's a photo!
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Over 30 companies participated, sharing experiences, ideas, and challenges. The eagerness to connect and learn from each other is a testimony to the foundational benefits of sharing with trusted peers.
Huge thanks to Gigi Cohen of Magid Glove who shared dynamic and thoughtful workforce safety plans and Joe Girard of Wipfli who shared data on the best performing businesses coming out of the last two recessions.
You can check out the slides here.
Family Business Center peer groups are a foundational part of membership. They work because of our amazing facilitators who create safe spaces for learning and sharing. THANK YOU to Linda Balkin, Cathy Carroll, Julie Jacobs, Mark Hoffman, and Juliann Vukovich, and who lead our peer groups.
If you are interested in learning more about our facilitators or joining a peer group give me a call (312.915.7738) or email me at asmart@luc.edu.
Radio Flyer wants to play!
My favorite Zoom calls are when kids, dogs, or other surprises enter the screen. But Zoom gloom is a real thing and I know you’re feeling it while juggling a million other things. Sure, I might think it’s cute to see your 5-year-old running behind your desk, but let’s be real–home schooling, working, and taking care of others can be an incredible challenge! That’s why I was happy to see Radio Flyer’s helpful tips for playing at home. These analog ideas for fun are creative and might just keep the kids enthralled long enough for you to finish that call with suppliers.
Ouch!
Right now, boards are laser-focused on bottom line revenue and cutting. Private Company Director magazine partnered up with Compensation Advisory Partners to survey businesses about compensation changes made in response to COVID-19. It’s an eye opener. Read about it here.
Free webinar: testing and contact tracing
Loyola's Quinlan School of Business has joined up with the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health to bring a rockstar line up of speakers for a FREE webinar on Tuesday, May 19th. The topic is all about COVID-19 contact tracing and testing. Recent webinars have surpassed their audience limits, so if you’re interested in listening live, register now.
"I'm so glad we had this time together..."
The amazing comedienne/actor Carol Burnett closed her variety show each week with these very words. Like Carol, I am so glad to have the privilege of spending time with all of you—at this year’s Peer Group Summit, on our NGLI Zoom meetings, or chatting one-on-one over the phone—Andrew and I are delighted to connect. Someday we will see you in person but for now, stay strong, stay safe, and keep up the great work!
