The Power of One

 It's been 3 years since I started at Loyola University Chicago's Family Business Center.  Three years is usually all I need to get things settled.  Now I am moving on to polish them up in version 4.0 and and 5.0 and do some work on my own educational perspective to fend off the boredom that is starting to permeate as I think about what's next.  I have clarity on what needs to be done in the short term, a plan on how to keep lifelong learning for myself and my team, and how to keep big ideas about what can come in the future, but I am trying to keep myself from being in the minutia so I can work faster and that's a challenge. Being in this space gives me confidence to take bigger risks. To show my curiosity more regularly and to challenge long-term setups.  

I continue to love the work of caring for an association and my heart is definitely entangled now in the work but also in the institution where I sit.  want to build experiences that people won't forget, but I am one on a FT team of two.  We have to rally faster and bigger crowds to engage more often to justify our shift in priorities. We need to accept that there will traditionally be a version 1.0 and that we can work toward a 2.0 and then a 3.0 as we have done because we cannot do everything all at once. It lets us breathe and become and listen to the environment and collab and play. I need that. My counterpart needs that. This community needs to see it too.  It keeps us relevant and curious. 

Speaking of curious, I still seek better ways to savor the moments, too. I'm doing this now as a parent of a tween, teens and a 20-something.  Parenting teens is the hardest phase so far for me so far. I do wish I could hide sometimes. I can give them money and drives but I can see they need so much more and it is painful to know that they won't ingest insights from me. Money and drives get you so far but sometimes they also need a bailout--calling them out of school because they forgot to study for a test or they were out past curfew or they went to the wrong party... I am thankful to have a partner so I can respond with a basic, "call your dad."  Persistence is key so I don't give up, but sitting on the sideline knowing they wouldn't have gone through a trial if they listened to me upfront is really hard. 

As for their own higher ed experience, I work the way I do to make sure they each get one. I remember going into my financial planner's office and ripping everything I've saved out for a starter education account for my oldest--continuing to live like a student, not moving forward with cosmetic projects at home or taking big vacations has helped make  that saving possible. I just didn't see a way to do it in an equitable way. I hope it comes to me at some point!

Now, I realize more clearly the wishes I have for them and I think I did enough savings and made a career transition to give them what I wish: I wish them to have the ultimate "freshman experience": living in a dorm with a roommate, but I want them to move fast through the academic components because of the pricetag (they can do undergrad in 3). I am on my third mapping and this one started with a more difficult academic journey. That, coupled with less clarity on career path and less enthusiasm for academia, has me worried.

Anyway, I also wish the stigma around community college wasn't real. I wish my kids' high school would let them get the associate's degree in high school so they can focus their time and $$ when they graduate on the components they need to achieve their major. I wish that wouldn't preclude them from freshman funding for college. I wish that wouldn't mean their social connects would be limited. I wish I could promise magical roommate matches with lifelong friends. I wish I could promise that what they study would match what they do in their career path.  I wish they knew more about finances so they could help me worry. ;)

Beyond that, I've got one community thing that has me on fire right now--seeing all 13 schools shift from PTA to PTO. I admire one leader who said she is in a position to do that and just ripped the bandaid off.  She is why others eventually will follow but the process of building consensus, particularly in light of annual transition with leadership, is real.  I live in a community that has a decent amount of variation in social economic status and I believe we can do what is needed ourselves to keep our organizations in good standing so why not keep the money we raise in our community and one day find a way to strike a more equitable balance for access? It shouldn't be a dream for all in one unit school district to enter high school with access to similar social experiences. Volunteers cite concern for  additional work, and I am committed to doing whatever they need to make it  as simple as pushing some buttons, but that means helping them find a way to trust me or find some champions to manage for those who cannot get there. I struggle with how to do that.

So, that's the update!  Cheers to 2026!

The pursuit of an EdD

It's been a minute (almost 2 years, actually) since I've blogged.  This time, it's a little forced (see the course requirement below).  Although I am a lifelong learner who has dedicated her career to helping lifelong learners access education, I last accessed a formal, higher education program in June 2001. 

Back then, I ran fast toward higher education right out of high school  (3 degrees, 6 years) and my debt coping mechanism was to go fast (I wanted to have those degrees before life happened as no one can take them away). That path required me to take on over $100k in debt. I'm sad that I didn't know the rules about nonprofit loan forgiveness (I spent 15 years at the American Bar Association),  as I think much of it may have been forgiven, but I was fine with repaying them on the basis of fairness (I made the choice to invest in myself by getting those degrees and I knew it came with a cost). The blessing in the sadness of my mom passing away 15 years later was that her inheritance from my grandpa went to her kids and I was able to use my portion to pay back those loans in 2016 instead of  2031. 

Anyway, since the days when I was last in a higher education setting, my world changed.  I married someone who has no degrees. He has the same work ethic, but he is more hands on so the college degree wouldn't have benefitted him the way a trades apprentice program did. And now, we are together helping five kids decide whether and how to pursue college and trying our best to help them finance it. We have varying views on both the pursuit and the financing.

As part of the EdD program, I hope to learn more about the whys and hows of higher education.  For myself, I hope to become more useful at work by gaining a deeper appreciation of the faculty/staff divide and increasing collaboration inside and beyond the university.  

Finally, I am most excited about pursing the EdD because it will give me a place to "geek out." I want to explore my education philosophies and ask the questions that have been nagging me as a parent escorting five children on their education journey. Given my interest in lifelong learning, I'm most concerned that the traditional university structure may not be the ideal format to support lifelong learning. If that's true, I'm going to want to appreciate the vision for what that structure needs to be and how I can help universities evolve.

Weekly Blog: “Life as a doctoral student” – Due: Every Sunday @ 11:59 (20 points)

The first semester of your doctoral journey might be formative and impactful. I would like you to keep an active blog (through Sakai) that details your journey, including your thoughts, reactions, and observations about your experience as a doctoral student. I hope this will be an open and honest space where you can deliberate on your collective experience as a doctoral student both inside and outside of the classroom. While I will be reading your blogs each week, I will leave it up to each of you to decide whether you want to keep this private or open to others in the classroom (which I would encourage you to consider). Blogs can be of any length and do not have to be written in a formal way (I won’t check for APA or organization – this really is a space for you to process, grading is for completion). They will be due every Monday by 11:59 PM. The first blog can focus on what you hope to learn about the program and yourself, as well as what you are most excited and concerned about. You can also connect the blog to that week’s readings and discussions.

Look! A university that runs an association!

Association U

Last month I started working for a center within a university that has its own membership.  I am essentially serving as the executive director of an association within a university.  To me, it's the last frontier  structure-wise to experience before I feel I can say with confidence that I've tried them all: 

• Standalone international professional association with niche components
• Standalone national trade association that houses international professional associations 
• Standalone startup for professionals
• Standalone affiliate trade organization
• Professional association chapter within an Association Management Company
• National trade association within a university
• Solo Consulting
• Cohort Consulting & Teaching

Being here is taking some getting used to (thought it would "feel" like the ABA, which is how the AHA felt.  It does not).  The last few times I worked for a university, I had been a student first, so I knew the campus and the people. Today, I don't have that or a roadmap for the structure. Also, the logistics are challenging (we aren't "student facing" yet I've been told we should be on campus 3x or more/week and even though it is less than 20 miles away, it has taken up to 1.75 hours one way thanks to traffic). 

So I'm still acclimating.  I am excited that it may open a door to go back to formal education (just one set of letters left for me to put behind my name!) and may also help me enter Act III: Scene I (The Kids' College Years) with some plan for them.

What's crazy is that I'm again coming full circle on things I did early in my career that matter:

I looked at the list of members and I noticed one is 100+ year old organization that creates matting for pictures.  One of my jobs in high school and college was temping, so I got to spend a few of my breaks with that company personally as an interim receptionist. I did that role for other companies as well.  It is a great way to learn about working in an office setting and appreciate what's similar (and not!) so you can more quickly contribute on future assignments and have something to compare to.

I'm also finding the synergies in my network.  Today I realize that one of our sponsors will connect a lawyer who used to volunteer with me to our members.  How wonderful to have that person contributing to a group I run.

As we gear up for 2023, I hope there are many more cool "circle backs" that come to life.  A group I helped for most of the year offered many in 2022. I really enjoyed engaging with that group and wished they'd be open to more (challenging national "value add", shifting to quarterly board meetings while encouraging more regular committee meetings, creating trackers that are on point, etc.). 

Finally, to toast to the synergies in my network and background in multiple areas, I choose "interdisciplinary" as the key word of the year.  Having an appreciation of why we need multiple perspectives and how to orchestrate them allows us to not only see issues from different vantage points but also create new levels of ideas.  Can't wait to engage with other professionals to elevate this group!  

Happy Holidays.

LOOKING BACK ON YEAR ONE: Collab with longstanding industry teacher

I am thankful to a longstanding industry teacher who was open to collaborating with me last year.  We haven't made it real yet (honestly, it's a matter of funding), but we created the ELEVATE concept. 

Originally, he asked for help creating a female-only cohort that would take his pre-existing course in VOLT (the national NECA education system).   Because the program already existed and two of the three segments already had access, it felt like a simple job for a salesperson.

So I thought... how can this become a true collaboration?  I feel the MEP industry (mechanical, anyway) was missing an owner-to-owner support network for the women contractors and that is who I wanted to support. I helped the national MCAA create Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) and it is a popular initiative but is needed to make all women of industry, not just the ones who own the companies, feel a sense of belonging.  My fascination with peer groups (I tried Vistage and C12) showed me that owners liked commiserating and found courage at times from others' stories.  I wanted to pepper in experiential concepts (Richard's curriculum, for example, included a visit to a small town to hear from a mayor on how he helped his town recover from a natural disaster. I love the concept and would shift to a high-ranking woman at Amtrack who manages crisis and can meet us at Union Station in Chicago).  

First, I suggested adding regular peer lunches that include pop-up experts to help participants with their issues (the format women who run associations uses) or facilitate discussion on hot topics/innovations.  I also wanted to see a capstone project: brainstorm industry issues, determine potential ways to improve the landscape, coach for the pitch, and connect each woman with the right audience to make the presentation (knowing who it was for is half the battle!).  Perhaps we can reach out to the woman who organizes TedX Wrigleyville to help...  

Next, I started local with my quest to build up a list of women who run MEPs.  While doing it, I found one-off sponsors so I could gather the contacts for a nice lunch, get new contacts, and hear about their current issues.  Last year, a supporter connected a philanthropist to these efforts so we do them every 2-4 months. Now, I have a list that's long enough to create 1-2 cohorts locally (depends on whether we go with a traditional peer group size (12) or the size of a VOLT cohort (24)). 

Anyway, we tried early on to gain funding from the national MEP associations: MCAA/NECA/SMACNA... but it didn't track.  

Today, I see that the gatherings are building momentum for the concept of helping the women gain more connections, spark meaningful industry conversations, and hopefully one day provide the funding to go beyond lunch.  

Thanks for any ideas you have!

To write or not to write... that is the question

I was raised a writer, but now I hesitate.  I worry about what others will think? Am I making someone feel bad? Will someone figure out what organization I'm talking about? What if they figure out what person in that organization?

So I haven't been writing as much as I could, or should to help my association community.

And I need to find ways to get over it.

Do I just draft something and not share it until it's combed over by me, reviewed by someone from the organization or ??

I remember a long time ago putting my heart and soul into an article that was really good but also a little dangerous to share... and having my key source tell me he didn't feel comfortable being named... and as I was submitting that he wanted his comments pulled entirely.

Ugh!

Year-End

What a wild year!

I am very thankful to exit this year's roller coaster as the 2021 edition offered my my most intense ride yet. I actually felt the highs and lows this time around. I noticed the new colleagues I met in the line ride beforehand and felt overwhelming grateful to the ones who were with me longer and grabbed my hand when the ride got rough. Thank you. I feel bad that I am not that mindful every year. Having a gaggle of kids with a ten year age span keeps you from getting into much of anything, let alone having "all the feels"--you can't let your mind wander off too much as you'll miss driving their friend home from the police station at 2:30 am when their mom can't get them or a hug from one when another sibling rips all her clothes off the hangers you just spent a couple hours hanging up because they went over the imaginary line that divides their closet space. Yes, if you lay around in this place you will get a Westie dog on your head and a kiddie toe in your eye.

I love the network that supports me and I wouldn't have made it through the year without the creativity, compassion and capacity the group provided. Those lows were depressing; I felt them in my gut and see that bump up on the sizing chart physically, too. Finding my first gray hair this year didn't help either! BUT. THE. HIGHS... they lifted me off the seat a few times and after over a year of feeling so disconnected I felt more "me" again. The lows made each high more three dimensional. I could see and taste and hear and BE in those moments. I started my own company... something I dreamed about for a long time. I took care of five clients. FIVE! I also got to refer another to a friend who was just getting started. I spent time to figure out what was important to me... and where the noise was coming from. I needed a nudge to take myself and my dreams off pause. I don't think I would've moved forward without the lows. Not yet. Over time, you become more curmudgeonly (is that a word?). Ultimately, my annual income was similar to that I was comfortable with in a traditional gig and for that I am very, VERY thankful.  But I know it's about the hustle and I have to start over again at the end of my current role! For now, there's a fork in the role... I opened myself up to a gig that would convert me to an employee again only because it is on point with some of the work I want to do. I am otherwise open to other interim executive director gigs, traditional consulting, and training and development building. My secondary area needs more research (creating an exposure pipeline for the next gen in association management). I'm pushing that one gray hair aside and chalking this year up as a win.

Not sure what 2022 will hold, but bring it on!

Enjoy the final days of the season!  Whoo hoo 2022!

Name changing: Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

 A rose by any other name would smell as sweet... but would it get the attention of GenNext?

Coming out of a pandemic is a great time to review your organization's synergies and name... does it truly reflect not only who you are but who you want to be?

Before the pandemic, the trend seemed to be shortening a group's name.  Sometimes the name would become the acronym of the old name.  You'd have to learn more in the "About us" or "History" section of a group's website to appreciate where it came from. Or, maybe talk to one of the seasoned members. Sometimes, it's done to forget the past. I can think of a group that evolved its name not only to merge with another group but in hopes of helping the public forget a lawsuit it once filed.  

One easy way to snag some spotlight and heightened relevance is to update your name.  Before the pandemic started, a leader of an association elevated the need to rethink the name.  The launch is supposed to happen in October.  

In Q1, I helped this group to facilitate a discussion with its staff leads around the world.  How exciting to see the orchestration happen!  The group has been very intentional about the evolution, trying to rally as many of its longstanding leaders on board as possible.  The bottom line is that the name change could allow more people to feel the group's relevance on its face alone. It also encourages those who shift from directly engaging in the industry to something peripheral to stay engaged and keep contributing from their new posts to keep the group relevant.  

Looking back, people will remember that part. But there was a lot of work that the staff had to do to make it all come together.  If they do it right, it will look graceful.  Know that for any of this to work, there has to be hours spent honoring the history that got the group where it is.  Your attachment to your organization's name, however, cannot be the same as the one you'd have for your child.  It has to resonate with the "parents" of the group in the future.