Thank You, Mom, Leading in Good Times & Bad Times, and Faster Problem Solving

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May 2023 Newsletter

FEATURED ARTICLE

Thank You, Mom

by Tim Fulton

Last Sunday, I couldn't help thinking of my mom, Dorothy Fulton. She lived a glorious 92 years before passing away last spring. Besides all of her amazing maternal qualities, it occurred to me that she also knew a thing or two about small business.

Maybe her entrepreneurial mindset came from being the daughter of a small-town family doctor in Upper Michigan who delivered every baby in town. Or maybe this came from an Ivy League education at Barnard College/Columbia University, where she majored in home economics. Possibly, at least some of this knowledge came from being married for 25 years to my dad, who ran a very successful tire distribution business in Florida.

Whatever it was, my mom turned out to be my best coach as a small business owner and then as an executive coach. Here are a handful of my learnings from Mom:

Seek first to understand, then to be understood. While Steven Covey might have first written this in his best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, my mom was the poster child for great listening. All it took for her was to ask several right questions and off I would go sometimes for hours at a time. She would just sit there and nod, smile occasionally, and allow me to keep talking.

Tim Fulton

President, Small Business Matters

SBM THE PODCAST

Taylor and I recently welcomed my friend Jay McDonald to the SBM podcast. Jay is a successful Executive Coach to CEOs, business owners, and leaders in multiple industries, helping folks become their best while enjoying great personal lives, and improving results. He’s also an experienced board member, having served on dozens of boards, chairing every board committee during his career.

Jay is the author of Strategic Jaywalking: The Secret Sauce to Life & Leadership Excellence, and Co-Author of Corporate Banking: A Practical Approach to Lending. A Vistage Master Chair, currently leading five Vistage groups, Jay is a graduate and facilitator of the prestigious Stanford Vistage Executive Leadership Program.

LISTEN TO PODCAST >>

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

Here’s a great life hack from best-selling author Daniel Pink.

How switching one word can kick-start your problem solving

BOOT CAMP

SBM Boot Camp Kicks Off August 24

The Small Business Matters Boot Camp is designed to prepare small business owners and operators by giving them the tools necessary to steer their businesses in the right direction. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs that are battling the same challenges and obstacles that your business faces every day.

More than 3,000 small business leaders have participated in this training nationwide. Our next program begins on August 24, 2023, with five full days of executive development on the following Thursdays:

Aug. 24 | Sept. 14 | Oct. 26 | Nov. 30 | Dec. 15

Topics of discussion include:

Strategic Planning
Leadership
Marketing
Financial Management
Organizational Design

Can’t commit to consecutive classes? No worries, each monthly unit/class is standalone. Attend any missed classes during the next program series, or elect to have someone within your organization attend the unit that relates to their areas of expertise.