President’s Letter – New Year, New Activity

December and January have been exciting months for the EFBC, especially at a time when things are usually quiet. I’m proud to say that we have had 4 new members join in the last month! Equally as tremendous, we are fortunate enough to have 2 members come back to EFBC after hiatuses. Their Forum was very pleased to have them back, as is our membership. This is very much due to recent efforts to focus on membership, spearheaded by the Membership & Marketing Committee and everyone else that stepped up to help spread the word about our growing organization. The M&M Committee is made up of Patty Rioux, Sean Hoffman, Matt Ahrens, Andy Sanghani, and the Board/EC. Thank you all. This is a direct reflection of your collective efforts, and we appreciate the group working together to share our experience and how it might be of benefit to others, thus expanding the brilliance that is within the EFBC. Awesome job! A lot of momentum was gained going into last week’s BOD meeting, into the following days M&M meeting, that we hope to keep building on as we move into the new year.

We look forward to that the momentum of membership, along with our robust programming of in person and hybrid meetings will lead to extraordinary benefits for the EFBC. In addition, we have partnered with Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small Businesses. 10K Small Businesses provides a network of support through high impact educational programming that provides participants with opportunities to “learn from other small business owners, receive expert advice from business professionals, get one-on-one business advising, and join a national network of entrepreneurs.” With a shared mission and goals, this partnership aims to foster the development of other Entrepreneurs, Owners and the principal people that take care of us

After much anticipation, Danielle Reidel, our new Marketing and Programming coordinator, started her new position and has begun onboarding! We were able incorporate Danielle in to a few meetings last week as well. She hit the ground running and didn’t miss a beat! Danielle, along with Cha Mi, our marketing intern, are going to be a dynamic duo for 2022 and beyond. Cha Mi just celebrated her one-year anniversary of being with us. Please make sure you introduce yourselves to the new associates as we open up to more in person gatherings.

In alignment with our mission, which is to “Educate and empower people of family and entrepreneurial businesses through impactful programs and a unique community of peer support”; I want to thank you all in continuing to keep our Council growing, flourishing and helping others!

Neil O’Donnell
VP of Business Development, Progressive Industries
EFBC President 2021-2022

Your Five-Step Plan to Getting Gala-Ready!

It’s happened to all of us. After almost two years of remote work, canceled events and social distancing, our interpersonal skills are a bit out of tune. Add to that the new complexities of interactions – Are we hugging, shaking hands, elbowing, fist-bumping or waving from across the room?? – and it is enough to make one feel like an awkward pre-teen on the first day of junior high. As the EFBC Community looks forward to finally celebrating our 25th anniversary together at our >25 Gala in May, for many of us that means swapping our now de facto sweats and slippers for bow ties, formal dress and heels. Certainly, we need a five-step program to prepare for that level of social re-entry! And perhaps help us fine-tune those lapsed interpersonal skills and habits along the way.

Step 1: Put on “hard pants” that have an actual button and zipper as opposed to the comfort of elastic.

Remote work and socializing via Zoom can be a challenge for communication but it has been a definite plus for comfy work attire. Some scientists, however, tell us that “enclothed cognition” or the psychological effects of clothing do show that dressing can improve productivity. So, start getting Gala-ready by putting a blazer or jacket on over that Zoom-ready t-shirt (but go ahead and keep the sweats!)

Step 2: Put on shoes that tie or have a heel and walk around – even dare to walk outside!

Yes, we know it is winter in Chicagoland and for some of us, that means a desire to hibernate until May – especially now that many of us can work from home. But here again, science encourages us to get outside daily. Just a few moments of fresh air can perk up a tired brain and reduce stress levels. Now, if we can remember how to walk in heels!

Step 3: Have a conversation with someone you are not related to. Or don’t work with. Or who is not your pet.

Here is where a community like EFBC makes a world of difference. For our members and Forum groups, their conversations and meetings have been a lifeline during the last two years. Maintaining – and growing – friendships and relationships remains a vital part of having a healthy business and healthy life.

Step 4: Practice balancing a glass and an appetizer plate in one hand while eating with the other.

No one talks about the physicality of socializing, especially for those of us who may be “co-ordination challenged”! Physical exercise is another of those habits we need to keep in our daily routine. And practice makes perfect for mingling at the Gala in May! While a personal trainer might not think eating dinner with your family while walking around your house as if at an event is a workout, we think it counts.

Step 5: Brush up on those dance moves.

It’s been a while since many of us have boogied on a real dance floor. But a kitchen floor makes the perfect space to perfect your signature move – especially in heels! Once again, science tells us that dancing isn’t only fun, but it’s a great way to improve your mood and relieve stress. Whether you’re a professional moonwalker or two-stepper, start practicing now so you are Gala-ready to dance the night away.

Following the above advice will undoubtedly prepare you for our >25 Gala!

Emotional Intelligence Beyond EFBC

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is at the core of everything we do. Ask any EFBC member and they will tell you, “EI isn’t about being emotional, but being intelligent about your emotions.” It’s a valuable skill that, when used with EFBC protocols, can bring about endless opportunities. Whether it’s a conversation, a conflict, or a negotiation, EI skills and protocols can turn these moments into an opportunity to connect. At EFBC, we don’t just talk the talk. We put our EI skills and protocols to use. But what about beyond EFBC?

This month, we asked some of our EFBCers to share how they’ve used the EI skills and protocols they’ve learned from EFBC in their daily lives. As a business owner or team member, a spouse or parent, or even a friend, these EFBCers are sharing how EI has helped them become better listeners and communicators outside of EFBC.

• Dave Westerman, President – Carbit Paint Co.

I have greatly reduced the advice-giving I would have otherwise provided to my friends and family. This has been difficult for me, as I have been raised by parents that show their love through advice-giving, and I have had to change my habits that I have mimicked for decades. EI skills learned through EFBC programs and protocols have provided me 1) the awareness to understand the challenges with providing advice and 2) the tools to offer assistance in other ways, namely, shared experience.

• Gina Krusinski, Vice President – Krusinski Construction Company

The protocol I use the most, by far, is to put myself in others’ shoes. I consider myself a good listener but putting myself in someone else’s shoes elevates listening to truly feeling what they are feeling. What are they going through? What are they dealing with personally that they may bring with them to work? It helps me make the right judgment calls and the right decisions. And especially with my kids! Thinking back to being a teenager and trying to imagine all that they are feeling and going through makes me a better parent for sure.

• George Karavattuveetil, President and Founder – Psyched, LLC

Improvement of EI skills has helped with respect to every one of my relationships. Most importantly, to take the time to listen to others’ perspectives, and understand where they are. As a performance improvement coach, I can only appropriately guide a client to a better place only after clearly knowing where they are coming. In a similar fashion, as a parent, I am most effective when I take the time to put myself in the child’s shoes and look at the current situation from their perspective. I have found that there is more value in them recognizing the time I have taken to be present and the effort to understand, more than providing an answer or solution to the immediate challenge.

• Kevin Walter, President – CLEF Consulting, LLC

Learning about and how to use the EFBC Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills and protocols has truly changed my life. It has influenced me in so many ways that it is hard to pick the area in which it has had the most impact.

After much thought, I would have to select how it changed us as parents. When we first learned of and started practicing EI, our two daughters were teens. Those were some rough years prior to EFBC!

After many blowups when giving advice, our older daughter came home with an issue one day and said, “I’ve got a problem with the dance team, but I don’t want solutions right now. I just want you to listen and validate that I am looking at this the right way.” Wow. We knew we had to change.

Thankfully, that was right around the time I joined the CFBC (as EFBC was known then). Employing listening skills was the first step. Instead of interrupting as soon as we thought we had a solution to their issue or problem, we would listen intently with good body language and eye contact. We would also validate their narrative with nods of affirmation and listen to them until they were finished speaking. We would express empathy for their situation. Next, we added in clarifying questions if needed then sprinkled in some shared experiences, not only telling the story and outcome but also adding in what we might do differently if we had the chance for a “do over”.

Voila! The previous outcome of anger, shouting and stomping off to their rooms lessened significantly. The back-and-forth of sharing and caring blossomed. We feel that by subtly employing EI and protocols, the girls were much more likely to come to us with issues instead of keeping them bottled inside until they reached a boiling point.

I am happy to report that they are now 24 and 21 and are on good paths to happy lives. Hopefully, they picked some of this up that they can use once they start families. If not, grandma, grandpa and the EFBC EI and protocols will be there to help!