PowerLink November and December 2022, Blog: 4 Lessons Learned from the Big Hairy Audacious Goals PowerLink Advisory Board Meetings of 2022 and a Sneak Preview of the December Sessions (planning for 2023)

“The only way to predict the future is to create it.”  -Peter Drucker 

This month, PowerLink worked with hundreds of small business owners who attended one of our 32 Community Advisory Boards, Custom Advisory Boards or Private one-on-one mentoring sessions over Zoom. The topic was one that everyone has been dealing with: How to Dream the Big Dream…where will you be on December 31, 2032? What will your business look like? What will you be doing? What will you not be doing?  What great dream will you accomplish? Many of our owners asked this question every November for the last six years—since we first created PowerLink Community Advisory Boards. So, we shared our Zoom stage with our EIR’s, owners  and guest advisors to journal and share our  “Big, Hairy, Audacious 10 Year Goals.”

In 90 minutes of talking, writing, sharing, laughing, and listening this month, here were a few of the Lessons Learned from November 2022 among Powerlink Small Business Owners across the United States:

1. “I see myself working from my home office and still working with clients virtually, but only working about 20 hours per week because my employees are confidently working with clients also. I see large cash reserves, no debt and all of our 401k’s continuing to grow. I see planning my annual trip to visit clients in Europe and Asia and taking my grandchildren along.”
2. “I see this business being sold and me doing something else.”  Short and sweet!
3. “I see an international business with customers all over the world.”
4. “We are finally going to have a profitable company that is paying me and throwing off enough profit to have 5% profit sharing every year.
5. A hearty thank you to our PowerLink Executives in Residence: Harry Edelman, Jan Davies, Patricia DiVecchio, Doug Stone, Melanie Querry, Brian DeCelle, Jimmy Lourenco, Tia Baker, and Brenda Dare.

December Topic: December for PowerLink owners means the end of Q4 and beginning of Q1 2023!  How am I doing, really? They will be asking themselves the toughest questions of the year: (1) Am I clear about where I want to take my business in 2023? (2) Am I clear about the top business challenge (“Rock”) I must overcome to build a solid 2023 plan (3) And what does it take for me to be a great leader of my company?

New…. PowerLink Community Advisory Board—Women Business Owners in Transition I and II—this session is closed to new participants.

In March of 2019, a woman business owner in Pittsburgh suddenly lost her life partner after 44 years. Without warning, everything about business and life changed. Despite her involvement with PowerLink over the years, she didn’t feel she had anyone there to turn to. How did she keep putting one foot in front of her when her husband and business partner had suddenly died? She went into two years of indecision, resulting in a loss of customers and employees. Today she would tell you she didn’t just lose her old life; she had lost her confidence in her ability to get back on her feet. It took another year before she would start to feel whole again and able to think clearly. She also started to compare notes with other women business owners who had experienced loss of their spouse, divorce, serious illness, sudden realization of their mortality and the future of their business. Out of the three years of floundering and comparing notes with other women, the “Women Business Owners in Transition” PowerLink Community Advisory Board was formed. Our first group of women owners signed up for the program in less than 48 hours. That group is meeting for the third time in December. PowerLink has decided to begin a second group of “Women Business Owners in Transition” the second Thursday of each month from 8 – 9:30 am EST in December 2022. If this kind of Community Advisory Board interests you, please text our number (412.721.3186) with your contact information and we will send you registration information since we may begin a third session based on owner response..

DECEMBER Topic Heads Up: “How to use the Entrepreneurial Operating System to plan 2023.” If you are still making notes about what you did yesterday….use December to map out next year!

Calendar of Events: PowerLink December 2022:

Here is the Calendar for all December 2022 Community Advisory Boards. If you are not already registered and interested in joining any group, just email or text us. The first few meetings are always complimentary if you qualify for one of our scholarship programs. Thanks to a multi-sponsor scholarship program through PNC Charitable Trust, Standard Bank Foundation, FNB Bank Foundation, Huntington Bank and Citizen’s Bank, we may be able to lower program fees to as low as $25 if you qualify.

 

If you are new to PowerLink or returning but not registered through the program, let us know if you want to register for any of the monthly meetings over our Zoom platform by texting your contact info to 412.721.3186:

 

 

Thursday, December 8th, 2022: 8:00-9:30 am PowerLink Community Advisory Board sponsored by FNB Bank to help you map out 2023. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. Register by text to Jan Davies, 734.417.5745, PowerLink Regional Director with your email and location desired if you are new and interested. This is the Second Thursday PowerLink Advisory Board at 8 am.

 

*Thursday, December 8th, 2022: 11 am-12:30 pm PowerLink Community Advisory Board Women in Transition II by Invitation Only to help you map out 2023. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. inquire by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested. This is the Second Thursday PowerLink Advisory Board at 11 am. *New

 

Monday, December 12, 2022, 4:30-6 PM Executive CEO Circle  -- CLOSED TO PARTICIPANTS IN DECEMBER 2022.

 

Tuesday, December 13, 2022: 8:30-10 am Succession Only CEO Circle—only for companies intending to sell their business, buy a business or pass it to their children or employees in the next 5 years (for our more mature PowerLink companies anywhere in the US. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. inquire by text to 412.389.5297 (Harry Edelman, Regional Director) with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Tuesday, December 13, 2022: 4-5:30 pm Pittsburgh Area Manufacturers and Makers I Businesses sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—to promote growth and new business strategy. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. Register by text to Harry Edelman, Regional Director at 412.389.5297 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022: 11-12:30 am Pittsburgh East—PowerLink Without Walls II – Community Advisory Board to promote growth and new business strategy. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. By invitation only. Register by text to Patricia DiVecchio, Regional Director at 703.200.3447 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022: 2-3:30 pm: Westmoreland County CC Community Advisory Board sponsored by Standard Bank: to promote growth and new business strategy. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. By invitation only. Register by text to Harry Edelman, Regional Director at 412.389.5297 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Thursday, December 15, 2022: 3:30-5 pm Washington County Businesses sponsored by the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce and Huntington Bank—to promote growth and innovative new business strategies. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. Register by text to Harry Edelman, Regional Director at 412.389.5297 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Tuesday, December 20, 2022: 8:30-10:30 am Purposeful Business Circle (for startups and micro-businesses generating $2000+ in annual revenue or working on testing and growing their new business concept). Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

(NEW) Tuesday, December 20, 2022: 11 am-12:30 pm: PowerLink without Walls I for Women Business Owners in Transition —to promote growth and innovative new business strategies regardless of your life transition. For owners doing $150,000+ in annual revenue wanting to hit $1M in the next 5 years). Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. By invitation only. THIS SESSION IS CLOSED TO NEW REGISTRANTS.

 

 

Tuesday, December 20, 2022: 3-4:30 pm: Penn State PowerLink Community Advisory Board for Contractors Only—if your business is connected in any way to facilities, construction, design, renovation or maintenance and you want to grow through private sector and government contracting, this group will limit its discussion to only construction/maintenance related marketing and new business strategies.  Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks.

By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2022: 5-6:15 pm Downtown Washington, PA Businesses sponsored by Huntington Bank and PCRG—to promote growth and innovative new business strategies in the urban/merchant areas of the City of Washington. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. Also share your own leadership strategies. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested or you can contact Doug Stone at dougstone97@gmail.com.

 

 

Wednesday, December 28, 2022: 8-9 am Retail Only Community Advisory Board (open to retailers and downtown/urban location businesses) to promote growth and new business strategies beyond bricks and mortar street traffic. Topic is How to Build an Effective 12 Month Plan that Actually Accomplishes All My Goals. Develop Your 5-7 Step Action Plan and Q1 Rocks. By invitation only. Facilitated by Doug Stone and Melanie Querry, Retail marketing and operations experts. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.

 

 

Also note that our December sessions will also let everyone share their key Thumbs Down update and let the group help “crush” that challenge with insight based on experience, lessons learned and mentoring. These meetings are private and confidential. You must register in advance to attend as a guest.

 

 

Have a productive and prosperous holiday and 2023! A.

 

Anita Brattina, CEO and Board Chair, PowerLink

3367 Babcock Boulevard, Suite 101, Pittsburgh PA 15237, 412.721.3186 www.powerlink.org | anita@powerlink.org

“Helping small and emerging companies achieve their next level of success through access to executive and CEO advisors.” A Pennsylvania 501(c)3 corporation.