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Your Executive Symphony

Don’t Let the Business Cycle Eat You for Lunch

8/13/2018

Business Cycles are curious creatures. Sometimes we see them coming and sometimes they pounce on us completely unaware.

And just because we see one running toward us with its mouth wide open, doesn’t mean we really are sure how to respond. Some businesses try to hide from it. Others try to sidestep it. Many try and stand very still and hope it passes by unnoticed.

So how can we be prepared for something that takes many shapes and may arrive completely unannounced?

While there is no single correct answer, one that will almost always help you prepare, is to listen and learn from those that have gone into battle and won, even if they got a few scratches along the way.

If a business is willing to share their experience, go out of your way to listen and learn. You won’t regret it.

by Carl Thomas, Engaging People Consultant and contributing Board member, Your Executive Symphony

Meet Jane Taber

7/31/2018

by Amanda Beasley, Marketing Consultant and YES Contributing Board Member

One of our featured leaders at the Fall Symposium is premier Dallas business attorney, JaneTaber. Jane not only will share her wisdom from a legal perspective, she will share her story as a partner in both large and boutique firms. No matter the business, there are stories to share and wisdom to gain from the experience of others.

Taber has a comprehensive business law and mediation practice with over two decades of experience representing businesses in a myriad of diverse transactional matters advising on corporate governance, operational concerns, risk management, business dispute resolution, contracts, and mergers and acquisitions to name a few. Her negotiation acumen has proven to be invaluable in meditating business disputes to resolution as a mediator.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to listen to Jane’s podcast, I encourage you to do so. She and Kelly talk about issues she’s seen during her career, including women’s issues, diversity and starting a business in the midst of an economic downturn. I was fortunate enough to have recorded this podcast, and listening to the finished product, it resonated all over again. Also available on Apple Podcasts.

Not Just Another Charity Event

4/24/2018

By Carl Thomas, Courage Catalyst and YES Contributing Board Member

I’m bombarded with requests to help, support or give to worthy (and sometimes possibly not so worthy) causes. You probably are, too. Sometimes it seems that I get numb to them because there are so many that are worthy and not enough of me to say YES to all of them.

I’ll also admit that, as I am part of the YES community, I have a natural bias toward YES events because I know they are intentional in terms of making a real difference. I also know that there is no big overhead that needs to be paid for. So my involvement and my money really do have maximum impact.

If the upcoming YES event, “A Women’s Heart” was simply a social event to raise money for Stroke Rehabilitation through UT Southwestern, it would be well worth attending. But we also get to learn by hearing Dr. Courtney Baker’s personal story about her strokes as well as her business journey. Her story will help each of us as individuals in addition to those stroke victims we are serving.

One last thought, “A Woman’s Heart” is not just for women. We of course want to raise awareness that women are more at risk for cardiovascular and stroke-related problems than is generally understood. I also believe we men want to support the women in our lives, women as a whole and to increase our own awareness because we have these health challenges, too.

And we all just might pick up a few nuggets of wisdom that will help our businesses! I’d call this a trifecta except that there is no betting involved. It’s a real 3 for 1 ROI. Please encourage those in your circle of influence to come as well. It’s the heart of the matter!

Would Your Business Survive a Tragedy?

4/15/2018

By Joan C. Richardson

Joan is a YES board member and business operations and real estate advisor helping people with the business of real estate.

How would your business survive a tragedy? Would it? Do you have a plan in place for “what if”?

The truth is, most of us don’t. Nobody wants to think about what you would have to do if you all of a sudden could not work. Would the business run without us? Would it run itself or could someone else temporarily (or permanently) step in for you?

Most of us never prepare for anything like that because we are so busy building our business and working. Unfortunately, things do happen. It has to many and it did to Dr. Cortney Baker, a business owner, stroke survivor, author, wife, and mother.

Come see Dr. Baker talk about her experience at A Woman’s Heart event on May 3rd at La Cima Club.

The Goal of YES is to help you thrive.

4/9/2018

By Kelly Kunst, Founder of Your Executive Symphony

It’s tough balancing the very servant centric role as business owners with the task of taking care of ourselves.
And yet; failure to take care of ourselves puts not only us at risk, but the very people who depend on us daily. A Woman’s Heart was launched by YES early in our history to raise awareness of the importance of cardiovascular health for our owners.

And then as so often is the case; life happens and I got busy.

I was about to get a HUGE wake up call.

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out my dear friend Daniela Finch had not survived the massive stroke she suffered just 48 hours prior. Because my marathon running, uber-successful 48 year old friend couldn’t die of a stroke…it just didn’t compute.

It was clear; it was time to re-launch A Woman’s Heart.

The proceeds of the event will be earmarked to help pay for stroke rehabilitation at UTSW for a deserving recipient.
I know Daniela would have liked that…

YES is honored to share Dr. Cortney Baker’s incredible story of stroke survivor, business legend, and servant heart on May 3rd.

You will not want to miss her inspiring story; and how her mission is touching other business owners.
Better yet; make it a girls night out with the people you hold precious.

Daniela would have liked that too….

Matters of the Heart

4/1/2018

By Amanda Beasley

Over four years ago, my father survived a heart attack. Thanks to his coworkers who sprung into action to get him the help he needed and a great medical team, he was home and recovering in two days. He was lucky, and my family and I are blessed to still have him today, healthier than ever.

Like many of you, my family has a history of heart disease on both sides. I, myself, was diagnosed with hypertension at 42. Seeing two of your grandparents suffer severe strokes that completely changed their lives and having an uncle pass away from a fatal heart attack at 44 (my current age), gives one a heightened awareness of the importance of heart health.

My best friend had deep vein thrombosis at 38, which lead to a pulmonary embolism. She survived thanks to a nurse who was carefully monitoring her. I’m so happy to still have her here. I have had two other friends (ages 31 and 46) who didn’t have or heed the warning signs, and lost their lives due to similar blood clots.

At A Woman’s Heart, you will hear from Dr. Cortney Baker, who suffered two strokes before she was 38. It’s not just men in their sixties, like my father, who have heart problems. Heart health is a concern for all of us.

I don’t say all of these things to scare anyone. I say this for awareness. Lifestyle, diet and genetics all play a role. For women, the signs of heart disease often appear as other issues. We have to know more, so that we can protect one another. The most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones is being aware of the signs of heart and circulatory issues. Events like A Woman’s Heart that support the work of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program are key to the awareness that will help us all survive and thrive no matter the health issues that may come our way.

Tapping Hidden Energy

2/13/2018

By Alicia Hicks

Alicia is a YES contributing board member and content marketing services provider specializing in podcasting and audio on demand. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or at hmarketingco.com.

What do you do to solve your toughest business challenges? Reaching out to your trusted network is a great place to start. Most business problems boil down to a relatively small set of core issues that are as old as the hills, and we’ve all encountered them at some point. Getting a different perspective can help you break through, which is one of the reasons to be connected with YES. We are a curated group of business owners and professionals who gather in a “safe space” to discuss common issues and best practices. At the upcoming CEO Symposium, our featured speakers offer a wealth of insight we are excited to share with you.

Mike Rose, CEO and founder of Mojo Media labs created an award winning and expanding business along with trusted team members who share the same values. In a recent YES podcast you can listen to here, Mike talks about culture as an unintended business strategy and how he observed a shift from “command and control” to “trust and track” that has had great impact on the firm and most importantly, their clients. Mike has a lot more to share with us at Seasons 52 on March 1st.

If building a business from scratch isn't hard enough, how about successfully transforming a business in an area you have never worked in before? That’s just part of the story you’ll hear from Mary Kathryn Reese Sherrill and Jennifer Reese Sherrill of Kitchen Design Concepts. They are two former blue-chip business consultants who shifted their work from corporate business to their own business, using all the frameworks and real-world consulting experience they knew. Their company saw success in the first year and continues to grow and expand in interesting ways. Hear their backstory in this podcast, with much more to follow at the CEO Symposium.

Insights, information and sometimes answers to all of our own challenges can be found when we learn from others. A recent Harvard Business Review article, “How the Worlds Oldest Company Reinvented Itself” illustrates a great example of how a company in business since 1288 deployed a unique program using the knowledge and power of their own employees to successfully change in a shrinking industry. You can read more about it here.

Answers are all around us if we just engage. I hope you’ll engage with YES at our next event coming up March 1st. Click here to register or request an invitation to register if you’re new to the group. I look forward to seeing you there.

Being Intentional

1/30/2018

By Jenny Johnson

Jenny is a YES contributing board member and Vice President, Relationship Manager at Iberia Bank.
You can connect with Jenny on LinkedIn here.

How is your New Year coming so far? I ask that question because statistics show that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. I think that if we are honest with ourselves, we can all admit to being guilty of this in some area of our lives, whether personal or professional.

Having the right community can help you gain momentum and keep your vision in front of you. This is what I love about YES! As an individual, I am only capable of growing a certain amount. Within this community, I am able to partner with like-minded individuals, access new resources, other people’s knowledge, experience, and influence. I find myself surrounded by talented people who challenge me, that help me grow, and that inspire me.

This community cannot be with just anyone. YES has cultivated a forum of business owners and executives that are always delivering meaningful messages and stories. As I set out to accomplish the goals that I so carefully laid out at the beginning of the year, surely I am going to experience days of frustration and disappointment. Yet through all of the stories that have been told by these successful business owners and CEO’s, I have learned that they too have had those days. Words of wisdom have been dished out on how to face fears, make tough decisions, push past failures, and to stay focused on the opportunities.

No one achieves success by accident, it is intentional.

These Are My People!

1/17/2018

By Amanda Beasley

Amanda is a YES contributing board member. You can connect with Amanda on LinkedIn here.

Centuries have proven that meeting together, sharing ideas, and supporting one another is essential to society and our own well-being. It’s even Biblical.

Your time is valuable, and demands on it are ever-increasing. The technology that has made us more available to connect sometimes get in the way of making meaningful connections.

We all have different groups of people with whom we associate. There are our online circles of “friends” and "followers."

What about in person? We have our social circles – the friends who help you recharge, relax and have fun. These people are essential in our lives.

Another in-person way to connect is professional circles. Networking events are necessary, if not sometimes painful, for making business connections.

Have you noticed that YES is a different vibe? What I love about YES is that it focuses on real connections, sharing of ideas and a safe space for asking questions and sharing the ups and downs of our business lives.

If you listened to our end-of-year YES Board podcast, you may have heard me mention that being part of YES gave me the courage to start my own business. Listening to vulnerable conversations with our featured CEOs, chatting at happy hours, and one-on-one meetings with members of the YES community showed me how to step out into entrepreneurship. So many of you offered advice, kind words, wisdom and some warnings.

YES is a true community! I know I have found my people here. I hope you have, too. If you haven’t, reach out. You may be surprised by the generosity and wisdom you find.

Your Year In Review

1/7/2018

By Joan Richardson

Joan is a YES contributing board member. You can connect with Joan on LinkedIn here.

We are now up and running in the New Year. Over the past few weeks you may have reflected on your accomplishments in 2017. I wonder, though, if you have looked at where you are – big picture?

Yes, we all need to know if we’ve reached our sales goals, made real progress paying off debt, built meaningful relationships and all of that. But more importantly, are you where you want to be right now? You may be where you wanted to be 5, or even 2 years ago but is that still true? I’m talking about personally and professionally. Sometimes meeting goals is exactly perfect and propels you to the next phase of where you want to go. Sometimes, reaching goals gives you time to pause and reflect on how that particular goal has changed you and your life.

Where are you going now and is that still really where you want to be or is it time for a shift? Has your personal or professional life evolved along with you, or without you - and is that OK? It may take you a minute or the whole year to figure that out. But that’s just how it’s supposed to be.

2018 is sure to bring lots of new and exciting opportunities and maybe even a few curveballs. Embrace it, keep moving. You’ve got this.

When it comes to your business, YES understands you have hopes and dreams, and lots of goals for 2018. We are a community of like-minded business people with purpose. If you haven’t been to one of our events lately, I’d like to personally invite you to the March 1 CEO Symposium. Click on the "Events" tab to register. Are you on our email list? Click the "Join" tab or "Contact Us" and we'll update you periodically on YES events.