Episode 260: Trusting Relationships = A Generational Legacy of Benefits Guest Mentor Tim Gilk is a clear example of how you can reap generational benefits by forming solid relationships built on trust, hard work, and open communication. Living your core values takes vigilance. We can get off track and mess up under pressure and in extremely stressful decision-making situations. Instead of collapsing into perfectionism and self-criticism, be more forgiving and allow yourself a pathway back to re-engage with your core values. You will hear how Tim upholds his core values and builds a generational legacy in all of his relationships, from family, friends, colleagues, employees, customers, to vendors, community, and extended family. This is an uplifting conversation about how you can work on yourself and have meaningful relationships when you adhere to your core values and see them as your guiding light. The foundation of implicit trust started for Tim with self-understanding. Marrying Jennifer gave Tim confidence in the benefits of being engaged and present to each other’s needs. Their values of trust, hard work, and open communication became the heart of how they raised their three-adult and well-adjusted children. DOWNLOAD  What is unique about Jennifer and Tim is they are both entrepreneurs. How they support each other in achieving their dreams is inspirational. Not a comfortable lifestyle but certainly a fulfilling one for them. Tim owns Wood & Conn Corporation, a wholesale distributor of grain handling and grain storage products. They sell, service, and deliver to dealers all over Minnesota and the Dakotas. He also uses his private plane to get those needing medical treatment to their appointments through Angel Flight Central. A service worth knowing about.  Jennifer is the founder and owner of Gilk Legacy Law; Her firm does the work of protecting farm legacies for the future. They provide estate and property planning services to farmers and others in their surrounding community. As she helps others preserve their legacies, she and Tim are creating quite a legacy of their own. Impressive. We also discuss how Tim and his company adapted to the coronavirus pandemic requirements of 2020 and 2021 and how he maintains his calm demeanor as empty-nesters. Protecting employees and customers. Responding to delivery delays, sales, marketing adjustments, changes in trucking protocols, invoice debacles, and other work process mishaps not experienced before. How farmers have been affected and how they are adapting. Maintaining a marriage while running two separate businesses. Reading as a stress reliever. We briefly discuss three authors and their latest books. Two of Bob Woodward’s books – The Legacy of All The President’s Men (includes Alexander Butterfield’s role) and Rage. Barack Obama’s new book, A Promised Land Jim Collin’s new book – Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company. The most significant benefit I see in Jennifer and Tim’s legacy so far is the stable foundation they have created to support each of them in their lifework. Equality. You can do more in life when you have the support and adhere to core values. Core values are the glue that holds everything together. Let me know what you think after listening.  WeMentor Meaningful Conversations LAB 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Starting January 21, 2021 The 1st Conversation is on Nancy. Revitalize how you communicate with energizing conversations that lead to understanding, clarity, and action. Raise your EQ with meaningful conversations. Take a refreshing step forward!  Contact Us Now Episode Resources Angel Flight Angel Flight: Free Flights for people in need Books We Discuss Barack Obama: A Promised Land Bob Woodward: Alexander Butterfield The Last of the President’s MenVIDEO: An Evening with Alexander Butterfield and Bob WoodwordVIDEO: The Legacy of All The...

WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

Trusting Relationships = A Generational Legacy of Benefits

Episode 259: Accepting An Early Failure Led to a Resilient Comeback I am determined not to give up on what John Paul Lederach calls our basic social contract. At WeMentor, humanization is honored through respect and having honorable disagreements. We encourage taking responsibility for your actions and outcomes to debilitate blame and diffuse shame. We validate emotions through dialogue, healthy debate, and conversation to replace violence and facilitate self-leadership mastery. On January 21st, 2021, I am starting a virtual Meaningful Conversations LAB you are invited to join. Let’s bind the social fabric of our world together through our businesses. Click here for details. The first conversation is on me.  Not every venture works out. Today’s Guest Mentor, Tim Gilk of Wood & Conn Corporation, runs the history tables on himself in a free-flowing conversation about how he became resilient after his 1st venture failed. Hear how he mustered up the courage to confront the facts and humble himself after his setback. The old saying, when one door closes, another opens is embedded in Tim’s history and his outlook on life. Tim became the owner of Wood & Conn Corporation in 2006. A wholesale distributor of grain handling (mainly corn and soybeans) and grain storage products. They sell, service, and deliver to dealers all over Minnesota and the Dakotas. Whatever farmers need to store grain, they find at a dealership connected to Wood & Conn Corporation. Additional things to listen for in our enjoyable conversation: Five words describing his mother and father. Growing up in an entrepreneurial home with two sisters and two children from the foster care system. Perspectives on entrepreneurship as a child and from his adult self. Accepting a business failure. Four different ventures and the lifestyles created from them. Happiness and unshakeable calm and confidence; aspects of resiliency. Practicing what you are good at and understanding what you aren’t good at. The power of a role model in business. Being mentored by Dave Wood. Upholding core values from one generation to the next at Wood & Conn Corporation. Finding stability and fulfillment in an adventurous life.   WeMentor Meaningful Conversations LAB 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Starting January 21, 2021 The 1st Conversation is on Nancy. Revitalize how you communicate with energizing conversations that lead to understanding, clarity, and action. Raise your EQ with meaningful conversations. Click here for details. Episode Resources Jennifer Gilk's Podcast Conversations Dairy Farm Upbringing Inspired an Entrepreneurial Work Ethic in This Attorney Well Built Reputation Leads to Start-Up Success John Paul Lederach John Paul Lederach: The Art of Peace Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three C.A.L.M. Activities:Take these two risks: a) Develop an unshakeable core of resiliency. Sign-up for the WeMentor Meaningful Conversations LAB January 21st, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  Click HERE!     b) Identify when you have had a failure in your life. How did you come to terms with your failure? What is your comeback story?Apply Self-Compassion: If you found yourself stuck in perfectionism, fear of grief, sadness, fear, or self-judgment when you have failed at something, move to accept your failure. Own the truth. Let yourself feel the disappointment. Be your best champion and accept what led to the failure. You are not a failure. Take 10 slow breathes in and out. Create space for some joy and appreciation to seep in.Welcome Appreciation: I appreciate Tim’s joyful demeanor and openness to assess his past, honestly. I appreciate learning the impact of a beautiful mentoring relationship Tim had with Dave Wood. I appreciate the full life Tim is living and how he supports the basic social constructs of human decency and respect, contribution,

Accepting An Early Failure Led to a Resilient Comeback

Episode 258: Behind-The-Scenes at WeMentor A beautiful conversation with Mon Frére d’une autre mère, Mike Kabeya (my brother from another mother). Get a glimpse of behind-the-scenes working together on this podcast for five years, how we survived 2020, and what is on the horizon for 2021. Mike has some technology predictions. We start with two descriptive words each. Mike, Sylvie, and their four boys had the coronavirus. Like many families, each experienced COVID differently from mild to severe. Mike has tips for how to get through it. His healing methods worked when he suffered from Malaria many years ago. If I get COVID, I am going to use his mindset tips and strategies. Mike and Sylvie have been working on some music over the last 10 years. They just released their first EP album: Butumbi Mbuebe (Glory is Yours!). All three songs are in the Tshiluba language from Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Central Africa. It is in Mike and Sylvie’s mother tongue and oh so inspirational. See Episode Resources for the links. Last year, I realized the underlying theme of severe psychological distress we all experienced for more than a month, which is what The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) tests. I share a significant relationship disruption with my Dad and the appreciation that one can have in reflecting on our experiences and embracing our fragility as humans. Psychology Today defines this kind of intensity as severe psychological distress following any terrible or life-threatening event. Mine began before my mother’s passing and continued through 2020. Sufferers may develop emotional disturbances such as extreme anxiety, anger, sadness, survivor’s guilt, or PTSD. Ongoing problems include: sleep disruption or physical pain, encountering turbulence in personal and professional relationships, and feeling a diminished sense of self-worth due to the overwhelming amount of stress. Can you relate? Take the quiz. A new WeMentor Meaningful Conversations LAB will start on January 21st. This is a way to address the severe psychological distress that has impacted us all. We will delve into meaningful conversations that will help you lead from a place of strength and courage in 2021. I am offering this LAB on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Get more information HERE!  Welcome this New Year with an intentional flashlight focus on what you can control, your breath, and awareness. I loved our conversation and included a 10-minute Breathe Awareness mental activity at the end. Join us to manage your mind. WeMentor Meaningful Conversations LAB 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Starting January 21, 2021 Meaningful conversations start with WeMentor. We will help you lead from a place of strength and courage. Click here for details. Episode Resources Mike & Sylvie's EP Album Links All three songs are in the Tshiluba language from Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Central Africa.  It is in Mike and Sylvie’s mother tongue and oh so inspirational.Nsanga We Kueyemena: You’re the Oak Tree I will Ever Lean OnButumbi Mbuebe: Glory is Yours!AMU WEWE: Only You!Apple Music LinkSpotify Link Youtube Link More Podcast Conversations with Mike Present and Vulnerable Leadership Lessons with Mike Kabeya | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Working On Your Business with Mike Kabeya | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring Do the following episode-related C.A.L.M. Activities:Take these risks: Enjoy the 10-minute Breathe Awareness mind activity at the end of my conversation with Mike. I learned the mind activity from Amishi Jha, Ph.D. An assistant professor and director of contemplative neuroscience at the Mindfulness Research & Practice Initiative at the University of Miami. Bring your attention to the Episode Resource section. Click on the links to listen to Sylvie and Mike Kabeya’s ...

Behind-The-Scenes at WeMentor

Episode 257: “Great Solstice Conjunction” and Your Favorite 2020 Podcast Conversations On this longest night of the year, a rare sight you won’t want to miss is right outside your doorstep. Immediately after sunset tonight, bundle up as you step outside. Turn your gaze up to the southwest area in the sky—a rare planetary event not seen since 1623. The two most prominent planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, align within .06 degrees to appear as one brilliant light, the Christmas Star. Forbes contributor and star gazing inspirationalist Jamie Carter says, The “Great Solstice Conjunction”  hasn’t been this easy to see since the year 1226.” (Tom Wildoner took the photo of Jupiter and Saturn on December 8, 2020.) Another part of this ‘exciting day’ is this. Your 5 favorite podcast conversations for 2020 are ready below. You gravitated toward conversations about opportunities, inspiration, meditation, searching for peace, and clarifying your message, which reminds me of a Seth Godin quote. “Define who you are by what you do.” More exciting news! We have surpassed 150,000 downloads! We can’t celebrate in person☹, but you can help spread the joy by posting this link PODCAST EPISODES | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Also, on this rarest of days, I am asking for your generosity. A donation from you would encourage a teary eye of gratitude and tickle alive some joy in my heart as we invest in a new year of beginnings and new meaningful conversations to boost your ability to feel more deeply to think, act, lead, and mentor others more clearly and more effectively!!! Every dollar goes into improving and expanding our programming. Thank you in advance for your generosity. DONATE HERE?   AND, A Toast to 2021. Let’s choose this time of massive change to ascending to a higher plane of well-being, connection, and collaboration. Cheers to renewed hope as we welcome in the Age of Aquarius! See you on January 4, 2021. We are off on December 28th, 2020.   YOUR FAVORITE 2020 PODCAST CONVERSATIONS  #1      Barbara Winter, Pioneer, and Author Making A Living Without A Job It Is Time To Explore Multiple Profit Centers | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Employee Mindset vs. Entrepreneurial Mindset | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST #2      Dr. Allison Hubel and Karen Dodson, President and CEO, BlueCube Bio The Inspiration Ecosystem: How Compassion, Curiosity, and Coaching Led to An Award-Winning Start-up | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Expanding BlueCube Bio’s Ecosystem | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Trahern Pollard, Founder of We Push For Peace Trahern’s Push For Peace | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Trahern’s Practical Solutions to Create Systemic Change | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST #4 David Mann, Founder of A Simple Message, Writer, Actor, Performer Unscrambling Your Own Story | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Crush the WeMeIUs Syndrome | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST #5 Skip Thaler, Multi-Venture Entrepreneur The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part I | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part II | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part III | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Bonus: 5 Enemies of Meditation and How to Overcome Them 5 Enemies of Meditation and How to Overcome Them | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Your Stargazing Guide Your Stargazing Guide To December: A Total Eclipse Of The Sun And Best Planet ‘Kiss’ For 794 Years (forbes.com) Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three C.A.L.M. Activities: Take this risk: Donate and watch the “Great Solst...

“Great Solstice Conjunction” and Your Favorite 2020 Podcast Conversations

Episode 256: A Heroine’s Journey to Heal Trauma and Depression Every Hero/Heroine’s Journey starts with an event. The coronavirus was our unwanted call to adventure. Have you accepted the call, or are you still thinking the pandemic isn’t going to get worse before it gets better? On the hero/heroine’s journey, mythologist Joseph Campbell identified steps involved in self-transformation through mythical characters. It is common for us not to accept the call for change the first time around. Initially, we thought we would be mildly inconvenienced for a few months. Boy were we woken up. The picture above is a modified version of the Hero’s Journey by Athea (Her last name is not listed on her website). This image reflects the ascent to a higher plane, I went to my podcast archives for inspiration. Suzula Bidon’s Heroine Journey provides clues we can use in our lives as we continue this strange journey into a new way of working and living. Quarantine restrictions this holiday season and next year allow us time to continue progressing through individual leadership transformation and integration. Understanding where you are will help you acknowledge where others you lead are in their journey. I have included all three episodes of Suzula’s journey healing trauma and clinical depression. You can binge-listen. Then complete the WeMentor Meaningful Activities below. Keep grounding yourself and face the reality of where you are at any cost. “Emotional sickness is avoiding reality at any cost. Emotional health is facing reality at any cost.” — M. Scott Peck. Suzula Bidon asserted bravery as she described her journey. A life that began in Spooner, Wisconsin. A place where her Mom, Dad, and brother lived along the picturesque Yellow River. Her Dad and brother enjoyed hunting and fishing together while Suzula swam and caught tadpoles and frogs. A place where she became an avid reader. In the 1st episode, you will hear how Suzula’s life begins to unravel, and she submerges into the underworld of substance abuse, not recognizing the call to heal. DOWNLOAD 2nd Episode: Compounded grief takes Suzula through a long recovery where she is tested with two spiritual awakenings and a 27-month stay in a federal correctional facility. Allies and enemies await her. The road back to herself isn’t easy. She persists and ascends to a sober life becoming an Ivy League graduate, licensed practicing attorney in private practice, certified peer recovery specialist, and certified yoga teacher. Once you know how to navigate your own transformation, your human spirit is free to evolve at its own pace and in its own way. You awaken to the possibilities of creating a better life. Substance Use Disorder meet Criminal Justice System | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST 3rd Episode: Learn 5 ways to use inclusive language. Self-awareness releases a judgmental mind. 5 Ways to Use Inclusive Language | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Articles About Suzula Bidon ForbesHuffington Post Star TribuneYoga Center of MinneapolisRecoveryYouTube  WeMentor Meaningful Activities WeMentor Meaningful Activities: Answer the questions below as you listen to Suzula: What was Suzula’s call to adventure? What was the inciting incident that led her “off to the races,” as Suzula puts it? What is medication-assisted therapy, and what is its purpose? Did it work for Suzula as a drug therapy treatment? How did unresolved grief and untreated depression show up in her life? How was she tested, and who were her allies and enemies? How did Suzula move through the transformation process? Over what timeframe? 2. Once you have finished listening to this Episode or all three, acknowledge your Hero/Heroine’s Journey. The inciting incident was the coronavirus.

A Heroine’s Journey to Heal Trauma and Depression

Episode 255: The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part III A dramatic year ends with Skip Thaler’s liberating decision. Not an easy decision but a necessary one when you hear how he assessed the opportunity. Skip was building Intercontinental Marketing Corporation (IMC) and started another venture purchasing duplexes and fourplexes as a passive investor in the 1990s. It turns out, tires and real estate go together. Once IMC was secure in his son George’s hands, investing in larger apartment complexes became appealing. DOWNLOAD In December of 2019, Skip purchased his 25th and last acquisition, an 8-unit complex Brownstone apartment building built in 1890 by the Cathedral in St. Paul, Minnesota. He describes another critical point in his success, hiring a management company for real estate to handle the day-to-day business like collecting rents. A common thread to all of his ventures was having a small group of contract workers to handle the details so he could focus on other financial details and growing his businesses. He has other great insights too. Skip has enjoyed 20+ years of renovating and restoring these 100-year-old apartment complexes making each complex a standout in the neighborhood. He describes himself as the opposite of a slum lord investing to make everything appealing from the curbside to each building’s inside. Skip’s attention to detail is apparent in this venture too. Beautifully landscaped yards with Mums-filled planters outside the buildings in the fall changed seasonally to make tenants feel good. Original photographs from the late 1800s of the Brownstone properties are adorned in the hallways and entryways, giving a personalized touch. New vintage lightwork, 100% wool carpets, restoring the house, and preserving past woodwork are a few examples of Skip’s effort into each building and unit so people could have a nice place to live in. ‘A crowning blow’ to 2020. This year turns into a liquidating year instead of an expansive one when a confluence of events came together to induce a stress-related wake-up call. The coronavirus pandemic hit—riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul. A growing adverse political climate towards Minneapolis businesses and, to some extent in St. Paul created an adverse environment for business property owners. City governments need to work more effectively with small business owners to rebuild our Twin Cities. Private property owners feel abandoned. Skip says, “the long-term problems are greater than people realize.” Hear the details. This experience brought back a memory from 52 years ago. When Skip started at IBM, an opportunity arose that brought Skip to Detroit, Michigan, for training. Skip describes the sadness and fright he experienced after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968. Riots broke out for a week. The smell of burning houses and watching tanks roll down the street. These same feelings resurfaced after protests against police brutality broke out upon George Floyd’s death on May 4, 2020, in Minneapolis. Looking Forward with Resiliency One of Skip’s endearing qualities is his willingness to acknowledge his limitations as well as his strengths. In Episode Resources, I have a WeMentor Workaholic Quiz you can take. Often entrepreneurs are accused of being workaholics. Are you a workaholic or a hard worker? Skip is gonna take the Quiz too. Another key to Skip’s success is his long-term stable relationships with Jill and their adult children and their families. Big thank yous to his excellent support staff and many accolades to Jill, who has supported him from the start. Jill is his backbone and soulmate, a real trouper. “Without Jill, there would be no success,” quips Skip. Skip also says, “once we get out of this goofy COVID-19 pandemic, we will enjoy building a home in Florida and not have our fingers in so many buildings.” Less stress, more sailing once able to travel again, and do some fishing. Most important,

The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part III

Episode 254: The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part II We have had plenty of terrifying moments this year. Multi-venture entrepreneur Skip Thaler talks about his terrifying moment after merging his Fleetwood Franchise with Tires Plus and how he influenced a workable partnership with Tom Gegax and Don Gullett to expand Tires Plus from 11 retail stores to 40 or from $25M to a $50M business.I marvel at Skip’s impeccable timing in the launch of a new venture, growing and shaping it, and am inspired by his ability to let go and the knowingness it takes to move on. Even his hobbies of growing 1,000 orchids and sailing worldwide have a depth of time mastery in their life cycle.When the idea starts taking shape and curiosity grows, does Skip’s passion emerge, engaging his focus, skillsets, and energy?  You decide.We discuss the timing within the windows of opportunity where critical decisions are made that create wealth. Skip has mastered the transitional leaps and lands firmly on his feet with boundaries that support healthy relationships.Here are some of those pivotal moments we discuss.The business model of the wholesale and retail side of the tire business begin competing with each other. Now what?Turning over inventory. How about someone else worry about turning the inventory? Skip has another idea that works better for him and his temperament.Who of the four partners has the most significant financial exposure? How long can one sustain financial exposure? Maybe the better question is, how many nights can you go without sleep before changing your financial model?A hiring technique that works for each new hire.Regaining self-productivity by founding Intercontinental Marketing Corporation.Learning the international marketplace with a $5,000 investment: bank site drafts and third-party freight forwarders lowers financial risk and is efficient.Tires have cosmetic issues too. How Skip capitalized on blemishes. Building a family-owned business.Passing the baton from one generation to the next.A meaningful conversation you don’t want to miss!  DOWNLOAD Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Tires Plus Brief History Tires Plus Brief History Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three WeMentor C.A.L.M. Exercises:Take this risk: create a list of this year’s terrifying moments in your life and business and the opportunities within those moments. You heard Skip’s terrifying moment that led him to get out of his Tires Plus partnership and launch his next venture, International Marketing Corporation. I started a monthly list for this year because so much happened each month.  Apply Self-Compassion: As you complete your list, make sure you name your feelings tied to the terrifying moment. I felt frozen and a rude awakening like I am coming out of a trance or horror movie when a second wave of the coronavirus took hold in September/October. Our spirits are awakened. We are alive. Acknowledge the courage it has taken you to name your feelings and sort out the opportunities within each tragedy and heartbreak, and then make tough decisions. Experience the sheer fragileness of your existence. This is what humanity feels like and what it means to be in the present moment.Welcome Appreciation: I appreciate the effort you are taking to complete today’s risk. Say this to yourself: “I am grateful for being able to release the emotions in my heart and in my being. I appreciate having the ability to give my feelings a name. I appreciate the time I am taking to acknowledge the difficulties in living through this year and being circled by so much loss, tragedies, and sheer chaos. I have felt out of control and uncertain. When I acknowledge my feelings, courage surfaces, and I can see opportunities to grow from learned lessons.

The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part II

Episode 253: The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part I   An obsession with opportunities started early with multi-venture entrepreneur Skip Thaler. The picture of Skip and Jill is taken in Turkey. We begin our first of three conversations when Skip is out of graduate school and working at IBM to give you and his family a foundational view of how Skip turns the art of sizing up opportunities into a financially successful, disciplined practice. A unique look into how opportunities are shaped and molded into viable businesses. Wholeheartedly engaging curiosity and passion doesn’t come without sacrifice, disciplined commitment, and experimentation within the boundaries of ethics, morality, and sanity. You will hear that underlying theme as we begin analyzing each of Skip’s multi-million dollar ventures. DOWNLOAD Skip goes about the tedious work of mining his history for pearls of learnings over seventy-some odd years methodically. Not unlike the attention to detail paid when dissecting each new venture calculating the financial risks and polishing off each grouping of learned lessons from the prior venture. You will hear Skip explain five prominent learned lessons from his early ventures. This includes a 5, 5, 2 theory he learned in his tire business. Is this theory what led him to his next venture with Tires Plus? His keen eye for observation and critical thinking help him face hard facts. The numbers don’t lie, and neither does the interpreter. His focus isn’t bent toward exploiting accounting loopholes and trying to outsmart tax laws to avoid responsibility. His mind is on exacting out financial details and getting the most out of the opportunity. This includes having everyone’s best interest at the heart’s center in each venture. You will hear how Skip creatively thinks about solving customer issues building customer loyalty in a competitive tire business climate. A key strategy in creating profitable and sustainable businesses. Fulfilling the promise of really solving the customer’s issues. Each new business takes a small collective village of people seeking to prosper with you while contributing to local, national, and international business communities. The local community is within the microcosm of what we call home.  Skip will be the first to tell you the best decision he made was to marry his high school sweetheart, Jill Kroll, building a life together with their three children, and seven grandchildren. Skip was born into an entrepreneurial lifestyle. His mentor and father, who owned Petroleum Service, suggested Skip buy into his first real business investment, Fleetwood Franchise. This is where he learned how to build relationships, leverage them, and solve customer problems.  Skip’s success is tempered by humility and compassion for others. Listening to Dolly Parton describe her ambition at age 74 during Friday evening’s PBS Newshour sparked a thought about Skip. Dolly Parton describes her ambition and inspiration—releasing a Netflix musical and her first album in 30 years “A Holly Dolly Christmas,”—saying this, “I would rather wear out than rust out.” Skip has embraced that same philosophy and so have I. Enjoy our conversation. Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Tires Plus Tires Plus published history: In 1976, two Shell Oil colleagues launched Tires Plus with three former Shell service stations in the Burnsville, Minnesota area. In 2001, Tires Plus was acquired by BSRO; today, Tires Plus has more than 5,000 teammates working in 400+ stores in 23 states. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don’t Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants  February 6, 2007, by Tom Gegax  and Phil Bolsta Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three WeMentor C.A.L.M. Exercises:

The Art of Shaping New Opportunities with Skip Thaler, Part I

Episode 252: Expanding BlueCube Bio’s Ecosystem                         Karen Dodson,  Katie Hornberger,  Dr. Allison Hubel,  Rui Li According to National Geographic, an ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms and weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life. At BlueCube Bio, the geographic area, expands the globe as their role is to “spread cell therapies throughout the world,” says Karen Dodson, President and CEO. They are doing groundbreaking  research and product development to help get us out of this pandemic bubble and get on a path to cure inflammation, trauma, and injuries where storing cells can mean the difference between a cure and ongoing treatment. Founder and CSO Allison mentions a friend who had the coronavirus and what he found out later of his lungs’ damage. Mesenchymal Stem Cell is a term to know. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) can repair damage to the lungs, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. MSC is in one of BlueCube Bio’s product line solutions: mCube. Allison uses pneumonia as an example of how mCube can work. The MSC-type is being used in clinical trials to treat acute lung injuries like pneumonia and multi-inflammatory diseases in children with the coronavirus, explains Allison. Scientists are trying to determine what therapeutic effects MSC-type have on resolving some of these lung injuries that are being observed right now. They know MSC is really important in treating the consequences from the coronavirus infection. The timing of their product launch could not be better. BlueCube Bio’s four-person team is ready to expand into the next growth-phase to secure seed monies and increase sales and marketing efforts. The methods required in maintaining cell viability can be adapted to the long-term viability and sustainability of their venture. “Part of the reason we are so committed to this path is we see cell therapies as the future of medicine. It is essential to understand that unlike a drug or medical advice, cell therapies are meant to be curative and regenerative. What we are hoping to support is a future where disease can be cured and not just managed. This is why we are excited, and this is why we are committed to this path,” says Allison.  Allison, Karen, Rui Li, and Katie Hornberger are improving cell manufacturing and the cryopreservation process by making it safe, efficient, and scalable. We discuss their teams’ philosophy, core values, and the management of time constraints. In the Midwest, if you are talking about manufacturing, a popular system for accountability in teams is EOS (entrepreneurial operating system). Find out what they are learning. We briefly discuss the four products they manufacture. These products are divided into two types of off-the-shelf Cryopreservation Solution Kits. Included in each Kit is a solution, cell collection buffer, a comprehensive technical manual, and quick start study guide. The therapies are for academic researchers and cell manufacturers. 1st Type: The MSC (Mesenchymal Stem Cell) with two mCube options; GLP and GMP. 2nd Type: The stem cell therapy PSC (Pluripotent Stem Cell) with iCube options; GLP and GMP. Karen Dodson said, “I felt like our podcast conversation was a warm invitation to share our BlueCube Bio story. Hopefully, we’ve inspired listeners to learn more about the role of cryopreservation of cells and how that supports cellular therapies for patients with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”   If you are a private investor, they are looking for a $550,000 1st-round seed investment. If not, you can provide a resource to support them in their journey. Or, if you are looking to be part of this expanding entrepreneurial team, they are hiring. DOWNLOAD Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources EcoSystem Definition

Expanding BlueCube Bio’s Ecosystem

Episode 251: The Inspiration Ecosystem: How Compassion, Curiosity, and Coaching Led to An Award-Winning Start-up  Compassion, curiosity, and coaching are the inspirational ecosystem of MN Cup Competition 2020 grand-prize winners Dr. Allison Hubel and her bio-team at BlueCube Bio. I am joined by Dr. Hubel and President and CEO Karen Dodson in an adventurous conversation to learn how they are creating technologies adapted from strategies used by nature to preserve cells during freezing, why Allison calls herself a random genetic mutation, and how their inspirational ecosystem works at BlueCube Bio. Leveraging critical thinking, research, mentoring, and relationships can be applied to your business. DOWNLOADWe begin with how Dr. Allison Hubel witnessed a U of M graduate student suffering from leukemia and the complications followed by a toxic chemical used to preserve cells given during a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. His experience became a motivating factor for Dr. Hubel.Three years later, Allison was sitting in her office on a cold winter day. As she gazed out the window, she wondered, “how do trees survive the harsh Minnesota weather?” This question engaged her curiosity.A federal government grant was used to adapt strategies trees use to survive winter, to help cells survive cryopreservation. Significant research contributions by doctoral students Rui Li, now Director of Research and Development, and Katie Hornberger Director of Contract Manufacturing and Quality Assurance (CMC), BlueCube Bio has moved those strategies from the lab to the marketplace to help patients faced with life-threatening illnesses and coronavirus damage to the lungs. We discuss the details.In the middle of our conversation, we discuss the MN Cup Competition (the largest statewide start-up competition in the country with 1,042 entrepreneurs participating this year), mentoring and coaching, compassion, and where they learned how to apply compassion to all relationships. Karen Dodson talks about how she joined the team, their vision, and their products (mCube and iCube). The collaborative journey between academia, research, biotech, and pharma communities could ignite some new ideas for expanding your reach to other industries.We end with the Origin of the BlueCube Bio name. When Allison’s eldest son of three children was in preschool, she went in for the usual parent/teacher conference. The teacher said, “Your son is just such a unique individual and picked up a wooden cube in her hand. If I would put this up and show this to the class, most people would say it is a cube. Your son looked at it and said it is blue.” Allison says, “BlueCube Bio is meant to embody that curiosity and that unique eye that looks at a situation, in this case, cell preservation, and sees it through a different prism. We are working to take that prism, the prism of nature, and naturally occurring stabilization methods and apply that to cell therapy. We built curiosity into our name and our perspective and how we develop products.”Karen finishes our conversation by encouraging young women to look at entrepreneurship. She says, “We see few women in entrepreneurial roles. Women are well suited to lead through change, are adaptive, and resilient.”  Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources MN CUP “MNCup is the largest statewide start-up competition in the country, supporting emerging entrepreneurs through events, educational programming, and an annual competition. Apply by April 17 in the largest statewide start-up competition that awards $500,000 in cash prizes.”   BlueCube Bio Wins MN Cup Grand Prize BlueCube Bio Article  Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three WeMentor C.A.L.M. Exercises: Take this risk: Allison Hubel and Karen Dodson believe in mentoring and...

The Inspiration Ecosystem: How Compassion, Curiosity, and Coaching Led to An Award-Winning Start-up

Episode 250: What do Winona Ryder and Pop Rocker Bobby Kabeya Have In Common?  Stranger Things is the answer. Miloe Music dropped their new EP “Greenhouse” on October 30, 2020. Bobby Kabeya describes what inspired his “breezy and buoyant single, Winona," and his portrayal of his lifework since our 2019 podcast conversations. Photo by Cristal Kabeya Bobby’s growth as an entrepreneurial musician of Miloe Music is reflected in our podcast conversation. A critical success factor in any venture is building a solid foundation and infrastructure which includes a tightly trusted and cohesive team of management. Hear how Bobby describes his team and who he is adding to the mix. DOWNLOAD We have fun taking turns discussing our two descriptive words for 2020. Devastating and resiliency, and contrast and patience, whose words are whose? “Miloe’s breezy and buoyant single “Winona”  — really about a girlfriend who happens to look a bit like Will’s mom on the hit Netflix sci-fi series — has added to the buzz that Kabeya and his crew built up over the past couple of years playing house shows in lieu of underage venues. That buildup has culminated with Miloe’s charmingly laid-back, sweetly escapist EP “Greenhouse,” a much needed warm-up as the cold sets in. The title of the taut five-song collection — recorded with help from members of Hippo Campus — was meant to reflect the challenge of not icing over during winter in Minnesota,” writes Star Tribune columnist and reporter on the Minneapolis music scene, Chris Riemenschneider. Alex Robert Ross in the Fader writes, “Bobby Kabeya had only just been born when Winona Ryder starred alongside Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds. Now, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter, born in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to Minneapolis at age 8, is announcing a new EP as Miloe with a song called “Winona,” a shoegaze-pop rumination on the blurry space between rom-coms and real life. This, of course, makes me feel hopelessly old, but that’s not really the point. The focus is instead on Miloe’s Greenhouse and the charming video for “Winona.” Bobby calls an Extended Play collection, “an album with less commitment.” I get schooled on the term rom-com. Think, “at the end of romantic comedies when the lead changes their mind about a strained relationship and runs after that love interest to make things right.” We get back to “Winona and the “Greenhouse” EP. An ode to summer when hanging a hammock between two trees encompassed by nature at a local park was a  daily routine. “I like,” says Bobby, “to put you into a room with me so you can experience a little bit of (metaphoric relationship and life) escapism” and a sprinkle of realism. Bobby is wise and grounded beyond his 19 years. He is conscious of how our society works and is aware of the music industry’s wild and predatory nature. We need Bobby’s “Greenhouse” EP for extra grounding this week as we await the results of an election like no other. You can listen to “Winona” at the end of our podcast. The chorus line is fitting. “We go where we go.” Next up for Bobby and Miloe Music: national tour for Beach Bunny and writing and producing new demos, always. Music is in his bones. Review of Bob’s first 8 track Digital Album: project Miloe EP  “Miloe is the extremely chill indie-pop project of Bob Kabeya, and this is his debut EP. Described as “sad boi music for all your events and occasions,” it is a hypnotizing, translucent collection of tracks. Most of the songs are built on simple guitar and synth loops, but there is intense beauty in the minutiae. Kabeya’s light tenor is like a sun shower on a summer day. I can’t wait to hear more from project Miloe in the future.” One more thing, at the beginning of the Winona video, you can hear Bobby's parents, Mike and Sylvie Kabeya, give the okay to record. An acknowledgment that it takes a village to raise a great entrepreneurial musician! Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business

What do Winona Ryder and Pop Rocker Bobby Kabeya Have In Common?

Episode 249: Nosh on Adaptability and Grace  I am fantasizing about a secret pop-up dinner party. An adventure that takes you to a secret location to have dinner with strangers. Guest Mentor, Liza Atkinson, was planning to roll out the pop-up dinner party concept this year at Nosh-and-Gather, the company she founded. Thank goodness she had another idea, Nosh-To-Go, a weekly meal service. Adaptability and grace, survival words for 2020. With Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner, Liza has ideas for celebrating the holidays you can adopt and tailor for your family. Pumpkin cookies sound so good. I had pumpkin pie with a friend over the weekend, so yummy! Liza has each week of menus full of pumpkin recipes like pumpkin lasagna and cream of pumpkin soup. DOWNLOAD Liza’s philosophy to have grace and give grace to everyone is catchy. This philosophy is especially useful with our loved ones. “We are all doing our best right now,” she says. I was curious to understand how Liza and her husband are managing school these days. They have a 1st grader, 3rd grader, and middle school-aged child with fluctuating schedules each week. You can find out how they are making it work. A useable acronym I learned from a yogi many years ago is H.A.L.T. When you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, stop and identify what you need before proceeding. When I take a moment to notice what is behind the change in my tone of voice, everyone benefits. You can more easily notice another’s emotions when you are familiar with your feelings. H.A.L.T. works for all age groups. Let me know how it works for you? Happy Halloween! Celebrate with the consideration of everyone’s safety in mind. Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources My Mom's Chili Recipe My Mom’s Chili Recipe  Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do the following three WeMentor C.A.L.M. Exercises: Take this risk: First, use H.A.L.T. as a self-management tool. Second, want to expand joy? You can make a $20.00 to $100.00 donation to feed a family of four to six in Minneapolis. Liza will make the meal and deliver it. Third, make or have someone make one of my favorite recipes. My Mom’s Chili. Her recipes will live on forever. Mom'sChiliRecipe Listen to My House while cooking by Jennifer Nettles and Jennifer Lopez, so fun. I hope you enjoy Mom's Chili as much as we do. (Cheers to you, Mom. Thank you for cooking over 68,250 meals and desserts you made during your lifetime. Your recipes will live on forever. Rest in Power.) Apply Self-Compassion: Release any self-conscious superiority, a construct of self-sabotage. You are not better than another. We are in different places in our lives. We are all connected and equal. Respect who you are and extend this respect and grace to others. Notice how you H.A.L.T. Welcome Appreciation: Say to yourself: “I am managing myself by practicing H.A.L.T. I appreciate it when I consider other people’s emotional and physical safety needs, along with my own. I am creative and flexible in my approach to holiday planning and celebrations. I appreciate the memories of my deceased loved ones. I can also celebrate Halloween in a meaningful way with those who are here. I can bring grace and love into each relationship. Everyone is doing the best they can, including me.” "I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing." - John Dewey Mine your experiences with new learnings so you can reinvent (or evolve) yourself as you redesign your business. When WeMentor... your life gets better!!! Mentoring WORKS. Podcast Guest Mentor Aliza Atkinson. Liza is a Minnesota girl with fierce cooking skills in the kitchen. Food truly is her love language.

Nosh on Adaptability and Grace

Episode 248: Nosh and Gather, a Thriving Start-Up A devastating year didn’t deter gourmet chef Liza Atkinson from a challenging 2020 launch in March. Just as she established the foundation of Nosh and Gather, a plan B was necessary to survive. Nosh to Go was born. A pick-up and delivery service for families to nosh... The post Nosh and Gather, a Thriving Start-Up first appeared on WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST.

Nosh and Gather, a Thriving Start-Up

Episode 247: If You Received PPP Monies, Now What? Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Keren Shamay’s Video Library 125 Cafeteria Planning          The Business Life Cycle What is Co-Employment? Metaphysical Books by Keren Shamay You Want to be Psychic? Hang... The post If You Received PPP Monies, Now What? first appeared on WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST.

If You Received PPP Monies, Now What?

Episode 246: Is Your Company People-Centric? Podcast Sponsor Strategies to Grow Your Business Monthly Bookkeeping Payroll Services Back Office Strategies and Support Contact Us Now Episode Resources Books by Keren ShamayTitle You Want to be Psychic? Hang On Tight! What Your Reiki Teacher Never Taught You Keren Shamay’s YouTube Channel 125 Cafeteria Planning        The... The post Is Your Company People-Centric? first appeared on WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST.

Is Your Company People-Centric?

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