A Tribal Meeting, Perks Are For Positions, and The Power of Peer Groups

April 2022 Newsletter

FEATURED ARTICLE

Three Reasons to Host a Tribal Meeting

by Tim Fulton

On May 20, I am hosting the 6th annual Small Business Matters Conference. This is a tribal meeting.

In his best-selling book Tribes, marketing guru Seth Godin suggests we are all the chief of our own Tribe. My tribe includes past Vistage members, GrowSmart graduates, colleagues, and friends.

Why host a tribal meeting? One might think in today’s world of instant and digital communication there would be less need for tribes to meet. I disagree. I believe the need for tribal connection is greater today than ever, for three reasons:

1). I believe you have an incredibly tough job. Most of my tribal members are small business owners and their executives. We live and work in a world of great uncertainty despite the amazing amount of data available to each of us with a single click. We're uncertain whether we should buy or sell. Hire or fire. Go fast or slow. Strategic decisions like these may be easier to make with the help of small business experts with extensive knowledge and experience.

This year's conference (my tribal meeting) will feature 10 expert speakers on the topics of entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, and work/life balance (happiness).

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS - THE PODCAST

Aviva Wolmer graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School with plans to become a criminal defense attorney for juveniles. What she thought would be a brief return to her family’s business culminated in her serving as CEO.

When she became CEO of Pacesetter, she immediately joined a Vistage group to get the support and guidance of people in similar positions. For six years, she relied on the wisdom of the group to help her process complex issues and make tough decisions on topics such as talent, M&A, and change management.

Now as a Vistage Chair herself, Aviva gets to create an environment that brings diverse perspectives and experiences to CEOs who have a desire to grow and scale their businesses or achieve their visions faster. Aviva strives to inspire others to become the leaders they can be through helping them envision their goals and dreams (personal and professional) and empowering them with the clarity and accountability they need to achieve them.

LISTEN TO PODCAST >>

SBM 2022 CONFERENCE

Once again, we have an amazing group of speakers lined up for this year’s conference. You may be familiar with their work, or even recognize them from public appearances. Either way, you won’t want to miss this year’s topics, which include Leadership, Marketing, Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Customer Service, and more. Not sure it's for you? Take a look at some highlights from our last conference.

Meet This Year's Speakers

Ticket sales are underway! Join us for a TED-like event

focused on new ideas, reflection, and collaboration.

— Conference Sponsors —

DID YOU KNOW?

Free labor? Did you know that over 200,000 military personnel transition into the private sector every year? Are you looking for highly motivated skilled labor? The Department of Defense has a program where you can hire a transitioning military employee and they will pay for the first six months of their salary with your company. Check out the details here.

A LEARNING A DAY BLOG POST

The Morning Walk and the Styrofoam Cup

I was reminded of a story about a person of power I knew growing up. He was a wonderful human being. It was fitting, then, that he always had a group of friends join him on his morning walk. They seemed to enjoy the walk and conversation.

I had asked about the morning walk routine a few years ago. It turned out that the group of friends stopped joining him on the walk. This disappearance coincided with his retirement.

It reminded me of another story I think about from time to time – the one about the styrofoam cup shared by Simon Sinek...

I heard a story about a former Under Secretary of Defense who gave a speech at a large conference. He took his place on the stage and began talking, sharing his prepared remarks with the audience. He paused to take a sip of coffee from the Styrofoam cup he’d brought on stage with him. He took another sip, looked down at the cup, and smiled.