Every month, Tenant Advisory Group hosts an Executives Breakfast and an Executives Luncheon to provide an opportunity for Chicago business leaders to build new, meaningful connections and discuss topics relevant to running a business.
During the Executives Luncheon, attendees were prompted with the question, “What are some of your best practices for finding new clients?” Here are a few of the lessons shared in response:
Pete Horvath – Word of mouth is the biggest growth. Meeting with property managers, realtors, and real estate owners.
Dan Porcaro – Build a culture of selling. Encourage all team members to network, sell and get in front of others. Everyone does it.
Jonathan Rothstein – When you serve as a trusted advisor, you can help your clients with great service providers. Always do good work and keep clients’ best interests at heart.
Ruth Minnick – Networking is extremely important. It’s a lifestyle. Connect on a personal level. Follow the money. Follows hiring patterns. M&A. Funding.
Jennifer Nemec – How to be of service. All work comes from referrals and website lead gen. Doesn’t do any marketing.
Marie Hale – Teach sales as a culture. Sales is simply being the best service to the person sitting across from you.
Jeff Asperger – Following up and following through.
Luca Lanzetta – It’s about the service you provide. Become a client of who you want to do business with.
Tim Schumm – Follow up is so important. Have systems and processes in place to make sure you stay on top of the follow-up. Much business comes on 5th or 7th touch.
Anne Gehring – Using Hubspot which is free as a CRM. Helps with follow up.
Barbara Best – Develop strong personal relationships with clients and understand how to help them be successful in their careers. Focus on paying it forward. Publishing.
Dan Golden – Was all referrals for the first 6 years. Would get work from large agencies who couldn’t do what they did. Use Hubspot as it supports keeping in touch with people. Leverage tools to stay top of mind. Referrals still drive a majority of their deals. Started a referral program. Not being afraid for asking for the referral. I also us a platform called Gaggle.
Eric Wasson- Sales is the most important thing. As far as channel partners it’s the best way to sell. Biggest mistake was saying no to Salesforce partnership in 2004. A Salesperson is hardest to hire and hardest to fire.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees who is interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Dan Porcaro, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Porcaro Stolarek Mete Partner, LLC
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior Vice President, MB Financial Bank
Ruth Minnick, Global Business Development Manager, Client Executive, Unispace
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC
Tim Schumm, Founder & President, Lucas James Talent Partners
Pete Horvath, Leprechaun, Move-tastic
Mason Awtry, CEO, Rightsize Facility
Marie Hale, Co-Founder & CEO, Revenue
Jim Lencioni, President, ARIA Group Architects
Rasheed Hammouda, Co-Founder, Bridge Financial Technology
Anne Gehring, Founding Partner, Stanton Blackwell
Luca Lanzetta, Founder & CEO, Luca Lanzetta LLC
Pete Horvath, President, Move-Tastic
Dan Golden, Co-Founder, BeFoundOnline
Eric Wasowicz, Investor/Advisor, Greenbrier Group
Jennifer Nemec, Founder & Chief Creative Office, Ideation Studios
Barbara Best, Founding Partner & Principal, Capital Strategies Investment Group
Eric Wasson, Director, Customer Logistics, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Local business leaders gathered at the Executives Breakfast and Luncheon to network with other entrepreneurs and examine a number of topics that are currently affecting their businesses.
During the Executives Breakfast, guests discussed what they were doing to get in front of potential new clients. Here are some of the many responses:
Michael Grace, CEO, Vetted Placements: Networking is key. Go to the nice bars and nice restaurants and meet people. Think outside the box. Don’t hesitate to do cold emails and cold calling. When that doesn’t work, send the overnight FedEx, because people think it’s important.
Gary Breden, Business Performance Advisor, Insperity: Identify who the ideal client is, and then identify who can put you in front of those people. Going to events, developing affiliate programs and channel partners are all important. Build partnerships.
At the Executives Luncheon, participants were posed the question, “What employee-management issues have you struggled with in the past year, and how did you overcome it?” Here are a few of the responses:
Michael Nowak, CFO, ABN Amro: It’s a challenge to inherit a team that was not previously managed. Try to give them opportunities without taking a step backward.
Joseph Antunovich, FAIA, Founder & President, Antunovich Associates : We have a hard time with the lack of loyalty. My advice is to be loyal, be nice and be hardworking. People are our most valuable asset.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees who is interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List:
Sponsored by Gary Breden, Business Performance Advisor, Insperity
Mason Awtry, President, Rightsize Facility
Kyle Deming, Founder, Wojo Design
Bob Domenz, CEO, Avenue Marketing Strategy & Activation
Atish Doshi, President & Founder, Black Sheep
Charles Falls, President, Demi & Cooper Advertising
Matt Gibbs, Co-Founder, UPshow
Michael Grace, CEO, Vetted Placements
Andy Hulett, Partner, EmPower HR
Jim Kales, CEO, Aspire
Larry Kaul, CEO, Kaul Sales Partners
Richard Kincaid, Founder & Managing Principal, Sage Greenlife
Julie Kolodziej, Managing Partner, Matlin Law Group
Kevin Krumm, CEO, Objective Paradigm
Rich Lenkov, Managing Partner, Bryce Downey & Lenkov
Stan Logan, Chairman, Quality Back Office
Neal McNamara, Co-Founder, Virtas Partners
Chris Miller, Managing Partner, Kelley Kronenberg
Dave Norris, COO, RedRidge Finance Group
Domenic Rinaldi, Managing Partner, Sun Acquisitions
Josh Strauss, CEO, Pekin Singer Strauss
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List:
Joseph M. Antunovich, FAIA, Founder & President, Antunovich Associates
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC
Barbara Best, Founding Partner, Capital Strategies Investment Group
Adam DeGroot, President, DeGroot Logistics
Laura Dribin, CEO & Founder, Peritius Consulting
Morrie Elstein, VP, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Christopher Gandy, Founder & President, Midwest Legacy Group
Larry Marin, VP, Near North National Title
Ruth Minnick, Global Business Development Director, Unispace
Michael Nowak, CFO, ABN Amro
Mike Perich, Sewing Supplies Division CEO, Bernina International
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior VP, MB Financial Bank
Tim Schumm, President & Founder, Lucas James Talent Partner
Steve Whittington, Founder & CEO, LifeWorking Enterprises
Kate Winston, Agency Lead – Strategy & Growth, EnvisionIt
The September Executives Breakfast and Luncheon inspired a number of great discussions and offered Chicago business leaders the opportunity to broaden their networks.
At the Executives Breakfast, attendees discussed “creating work-life balance and how to manage work-from-home employees.” Here are some of the many responses:
Mike Maddock, Founder & CEO, Maddock Douglas: You don’t live to work; you work to live. The example the founders set is what the employees will follow. Don’t let people down.
Grant Gochnauer, Co-Founder & CTO, Vodori: Culture is a big component, and founders set the tone of the culture. It depends on where you are in the life of the business. There’s a sense of community, team dynamics and trust that is hard to facilitate when working remotely. Likewise, it’s hard to optimize remote work.
During the Executives Luncheon, guests were asked, “What have you done to create strong cultures in your organization?” Here are a few of the responses:
Michael Reddy, President, Digital Authority Partners: 1. Create shared goals and objectives, as we are trying to avoid silos. We have a few goals set that reach across the entire company. 2. Be good to people and offer full healthcare, strong 401ks and an open vacation policy. Don’t set hours of working. Work hard, remain available, communicate and be transparent to help the team understand priorities and what is on the horizon.
Jeremy Bird, CEO, 270 Strategies: We take space very seriously and have no doors. We are promoting a culture of transparency. We bring everyone together twice a year for company-wide retreats. We have a call every Tuesday for “triple bottom line.” Impact, innovation, and profit.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees who is interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List:
Chris Beaulieu, Owner, Christopher Beaulieu & Associates
Mike Berntsen, CEO, Penthouse111 & Gentlemen’s Cooperative
Robin Berthier, CEO & CO-Founder, Network Perception
Brian Black, Managing Director, Tenant Advisory Group
Gary Breden, Business Performance Advisor, Insperity
Mason Cole, Managing Partner, Cole Sadkin
Stephen Daday, Managing Partner, Klein, Daday, Aretos & Donoghue
Grant Gochnauer, Co-Founder & CTO, Vodori
Robert Jacobi, President, Arc Technology Group
Jeff Jozwiak, Principal & Co-Founder, Norcon
Greg Kris, Managing Partner, Kris Ampersand
Kevin Krumm, CEO, Objective Paradigm
Andy Mack, CEO, SnapMobile
Mike Maddock, Founder & CEO, Maddock Douglas
Craig Manske, Managing Principal, Development Solutions Inc
Mark Meyer, Founder, E&M Strategic Development
Domenic Rinaldi, Managing Director, Sun Acquisitions
Mitchell Roth, Managing Partner, Much Shelist
Jon Talty, Chairman & CEO, OKW Architects
Tim Van Mieghem, Partner, The ProAction Group
Jim Vaselopulos, Founder, CEO, Rafti Advisors
Jeremy Waitzman, Partner, SFGH
Jessica Wu, COO, Vetted Placements
Igor Zhizhin, President, American Street Capital
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List:
Jim Anfield, Principal, Aptitive
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC
Jeremy Bird, CEO, 270 Strategies
Fred Bliss, CTO, Aptitive
Timothy Czmiel, Managing Partner, Virtas Partners
Jeff Durocher, CMO, Advance Search International
Daniel Ebert, COO, Greenheart
Morrie Elstien, VP, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Jessica Freiburg, Partner, Sassetti LLC
James Gustin, Partner, Fig Media
Rhonda Jensen, President, Jensen Litigation Services
Pat Monahan, CEO, Riverside Graphics
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Michael Reddy, President, Digital Authority Partners
Mark Rickmeier, CEO, Table XI
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior VP, MB Financial Bank
David Sanchez, Founder & Director, 10 MGMT Agency
Mitch Weinstein, Managing Partner, Chuhak & Tecson
Every month, Tenant Advisory Group hosts an Executives Breakfast and an Executives Luncheon to provide an opportunity for Chicago business leaders to build new, meaningful connections and discuss topics relevant to running a business.
During the Executives Breakfast, attendees were prompted with the question, “what is the best way to handle growth, and what do you wish you would have done differently?” Here are a few of the lessons shared in response:
Matt Green, Cofounder, VentureScale: Stay in your lane and focus on your role. Make sure you have goals set, and strive to achieve them.
Paul Detlefs, President, The Prestwick Group: Do not underestimate the power of delegation. Hire others to take stuff off your plate to focus your efforts. Consistently make an effort to simplify your business as you grow. Also, constantly look at the right structure for your business – is it the right time to take it to the next level? Should we spin off and outsource departments? Systematize your business and create process sooner.
Scott Nicholson, CEO, KO Business Solutions: I wanted to control everything and didn’t have systems and processes in place fast enough. Develop internal talent that grows with the company by creating a curriculum of classes that internal teams can take to develop.
At the Executives Luncheon, guests were asked, “what are some key lessons learned in growing a customer or client base?”
Zak Dabbas, CEO & Founder, Marco & Associates: Always look ahead to see what’s next. Never rest on your laurels. Maintain a clear and shared mission and vision, and breed a culture where everyone is an ambassador of the company. You’re only as good as the worst person on your team, so build a strong culture to elevate the level of energy and excitement at the office.
Ruth Minnick, Global Business Development Director, Unispace: Offer to provide value beyond services/products. Take care of each relationship, as you never know where it’s going to lead.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees who is interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Mason Awtry, CEO, Rightsize Facility
Craig Castelli, Founder & CEO, Caber Hill Advisors
Paul Detlefs, President, The Prestwick Group
Kenny Estes, Cofounder, West Loop Ventures
Matt Green, Cofounder, VentureScale
Tom Gregg, President, Vehicle Acquisition Network
Josh Haid, Managing Partner, Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group
Rhonda Jensen, President, Jensen Court Reporting
Mike Kupfer, President & CEO, Black Diamond Solutions
Stan Logan, Chairman, Quality Back Office
Jim Macdonald, Managing Director, First Analysis
Andy Mack, CEO, SnapMobile
Joseph McCoy, Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Scott Nicholson, CEO, KO Business Solutions
Ben Renda, CEO, Global Capital
Ron Repking, Founding Partner, Sriracha Partners
Mitchell Roth, Managing Partner, Much Shelist, P.C
Karen Sanders, President, Sanders IT Consulting
Allan C Sutherland, Founder, President and CEO, In-telligent LLC
Rosemary Swierk, President, Direct Steel & Construction
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC
Lou Costabile, CFO, MasterMind Group
Zak Dabbas, CEO & Founder, Marco & Associates
David Diamond, Managing Partner, Kutchins, Robins & Diamond
Morrie Elstien, VP, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Charlie Franklin, Managing Partner, Franklin Law Group
Rick Gray, CEO, TalentRISE
James Gustin, Partner, fig Media
Michele Gustin, CEO and President, Fig Media
Celia Jones, CEO, The Escape Pod
Dan Kardatzke, President & CFO, Solstice
Bruce Menkes, Managing Partner, Mandell Menkes
Ruth Minnick, Global Business Development Director, Unispace
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Mark Rickmeier, CEO, Table XI
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior VP, MB Financial Bank
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech
Rick Stearns, CFO, Origami Risk
Chicago entrepreneurs gathered at Tenant Advisory Group’s July Executives Breakfast and Luncheon to connect with other professionals and share their insight.
During the event, attendees were asked about “the biggest mistake they have made as a business owner.” Here are a few of the many responses:
Rick Gray, CEO, TalentRise: I did not do enough homework on the people driving the revenue of the business. I went too hard too fast and needed to step back and rebuild trust. I wanted to change the mentality of “my score matters” to “our score matters.”
Morrie Elstein, Vice President, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors: I didn’t hire the right partners, and I needed to make leadership changes, as the wrong people were selected. I also would have done more thorough background checks.
At the Executives Luncheon, guests were asked what they see as “the biggest threat to their industry and how they plan to overcome it.” Here are some of the responses:
Josh Strauss: Robotic advisors and passive investing on your own are the biggest threats. If there is any complication, there needs to be a specialized advisor. Passive investing works well in a growing market.
Joanna Sobran: The biggest threat is ourselves. We need to find a way to merge some of the various business lines to focus momentum and so they become really good at everything they do.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees who is interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Mason Awtry, CEO, Rightsize Facility
Craig Castelli, Founder & CEO, Caber Hill Advisors
Mike Cavanaugh, Managing Partner, FinTech Ranger
Paul Detlefs, President, The Prestwick Group
Kenny Estes, Co Founder, West Loop Ventures
Grant Gochnauer, Co-Founder & CTO, Vodori
Matt Green, Co-Founder, VentureScale
Tom Gregg, President, Vehicle Acquisition Network
Richard Grossi, CFO, Kensium
Josh Haid, Managing Partner, Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group
Rhonda Jensen, President, Jensen Court Reporting
Mike Kupfer, President & CEO, Black Diamond Solutions
Guy Logan, CEO, Logan Consulting
Stan Logan, Chairman, Quality Back Office
Jim Macdonald, Managing Director, First Analysis
Andy Mack, CEO, SnapMobile
Joel Manning, Managing Partner, Manning Silverman
Joseph McCoy, Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
Scott Nicholson, CEO, KO Business Solutions
Grigory Pekarsky, Managing Broker & Partner, Vesta Preferred Realty
Ben Renda, CEO, Global Capital
Ron Repking, Founding Partner, Sriracha Partners
Mitchell Roth, Managing Partner, Much Shelist, P.C
Karen Sanders, President, Sanders IT Consulting
Allan C Sutherland, Founder, President and CEO, In-telligent LLC
Rosemary Swierk, President, Direct Steel & Construction
Jon P. Talty, AIA, Chairman & CEO, OKW Architects
John Udelhofen, CFO, One North Interactive
Jason Van Zant, Managing Director, Keystone Capital
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC
Rory Dunne, Founder and Co-Managing Partner, Karbal Cohen Economou Silk & Dunne, LLC
Morrie Elstien, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Jessica Freiburg, Managing Partner, Sassetti LLC
James Gustin, Founding Partner, Fig Media
Judy Hogel, Executive Director, Chicago Family Business Council
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior Vice President, MB Financial Bank
David Stolarek, Senior Partner and Co-Founder at Porcaro Stolarek Mete Partners, LLC
Josh Strauss, Co-CEO, Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management
The June Executives Breakfast and Luncheon offered a constructive environment for local Chicago entrepreneurs to broaden their network. Attendees had the opportunity to share ideas, experiences and business advice with one another.
At the executives breakfast, guests were asked “what they have done, or stopped doing, that has increased their productivity.” Here are a few of the responses:
Mason Awtry, President, Rightsize Facility: I syndicate myself through technology and only read emails a few times a day to stay productive. Someone else also reads my emails to distill it down. I also have technology-free Fridays and have someone run my social media. This helps me be more present in the moment.
Jim Anderson, President, Switchfast: I implemented traction to increase productivity. I also have a Friday afternoon calendar reminder to pick three things to get done next no matter what.
Attendees at the Executives Luncheon were given the topic of “best productivity practices and how to best sift through the noise.” Here are some of their responses:
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle: Build constant relationships with clients and people you’re working with, get to know them. Use the telephone and cultivate relationships.
Delegating is also very important. Set a good example and be a leader.
Rob Klein, Managing Partner, Klein Paull Holleb & Jacobs, Ltd.: Be hyper efficient, I have a to-do list every day. Create templates of everything you can and use software to be technologically advanced. It is also best to hire people that are smarter than you.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees and are interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Jim Anderson, President, Switchfast
Mason Awtry, President, Rightsize Facility
Jon Berbaum, President, Highland Solutions
Bob Berland, President, Berland Communications
Atish Doshi, Founder, The Black Sheep
Kenny Estes, CEO, West Loop Ventures
Gregory J. Fine, FASAE, CAE, CEO, CCIM Institute
Scott Glickson, Managing Director, PURSANT, LLC
John Gotschall, CEO, Coaching Financial Concepts
JC Grubbs, CEO, DevMynd
Jerry Holisky, Managing Partner, Aronberg Goldgehn
John LaRoy, President, CoachVend
Daniel Levin, President, Liventus
Guy Logan, CEO, Logan Consulting
Scott Markman, President, The Monogram Group
Victoria Rock, President, Victoria Legal & Corporate Services
Jim Taylor, CEO, Launchways
Ken Thompson, Managing Director, Level X Consulting
John Udelhofen, CFO, One North Interactive
Jason Van Zant, Managing Director, Keystone Capital
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle
Joe Brocato, Partner Gozdecki, Del Giudice, Americus, Farkas & Brocato LLP
David Diamond, Managing Partner, Kutchins, Robbins & Diamond
Troy Ellis, VP of Finance, Aparium Hotel Group
Morrie Elstein, VP, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Mike Garelli, CEO & Founder, Marco & Associates
James & Michele Gustin, CEO & President, Fig Media
Elizabeth Hodos, Founder / CEO, Hodos Consulting
Steve Jakubowski, Shareholder, Robbins, Salomon & Pratt
Robert Klein, Managing Partner, Klein Paull Holleb & Jacobs, Ltd.
Robert M. Lanigan, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Mark Rickmeier, CEO, Table XI
Jonathan Rothstein, SVP, MB Financial Bank
Gregg Salkovitch, CEO, Rightchoice Resources
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech
Roch Tranel, CEO, Tranel Financial Group
The May Executives Breakfast and Luncheons offered a place for insightful conversation and networking between local, Chicago entrepreneurs. Attendees were given opportunities to provide business advice and share valuable experiences with one another.
Guests at the Executive Breakfast were given the discussion topic of best practices pertaining to attracting top talent. Here are a few of the many responses:
Craig Stout, CEO, Stout, Risius, Ross: It is all about the core values of the firm and who they are. Retain the best things from large firms and leave the worst things. Be super transparent, follow open book management and create a team environment. I have the most luck when someone in the firm knows a potential new hire. If it doesn’t feel right don’t do it.
Tomer Yogev, CEO, TandemSpring: Strength-based leadership development is key. Most people are aware of what they are not good at. It’s about getting in touch with individual strengths and understanding the things that people are strong at and bring that to the forefront.
Entrepreneurs at the Executive Luncheon were asked how to best navigate growth and what they wish they had done differently. Here are some of their responses:
James Scherzinger, Managing Partner, Cray, Kaiser, Ltd: I would have spent more money and time on staffing needs. Also, trying to leverage our staff to a greater degree, get them acquainted with softer skills and groom everyone for leadership roles.
Ryan Mannion, EVP & Brand Strategy, Symmetri Marketing Group: There is no need to grow so quickly. I suggest building capabilities one at a time and get focused around specific verticals. Scaling knowledge and expertise is important. Focus on the right clients.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees and are interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Bob Berland, President, Berland Communications
Barbara Best, President, Capital Strategies Investment Group LLC
Bruce Billmeyer, Partner, BCU Risk Advisors
Jake Dayan, CEO, Community Tax
Brian Deutsch, Founder, XV Venture Capital
Andrew Maloney, Owner, CNS+T
Mike LaVista, Founder, Caxy
Amy Leafe McCormack, CEO, McCormack Schreiber Legal Search
Mohammed Saleem, President, AES Services
Ann Simms, COO, American Planning Association
Kathy Steele, Founder & CEO, Red Caffeine
Craig Stout, CEO, Stout Risius Ross
Rosemary Swierk, CEO, Direct Steel & Construction
Tomer Yogev, CEO, TandemSpring
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Jeff Asperger, Partner, Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle
Mark Bromberg, Director of Operations, GKIC
David Diamond, Managing Partner, Kutchins, Robins & Diamond
Morrie Elstein, Vice President, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
James & Michele Gustin, CEO and President, Fig Media
Ryan Mannion, EVP & Brand Strategy, Symmetri Marketing Group
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Mark Rickmeier, CEO, Table XI
Arabel Alva Rosales, President and CEO of AAR & Assocs. Ltd, Co-founder, Principal and Producer of Latino Fashion Week
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior Vice President, MB Financial Bank
Michael Rothstein, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Tabet DiVito & Rothstein
James Scherzinger, Managing Partner, Cray, Kaiser, Ltd
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech
The April executives networking events brought together many new entrepreneurs to grow their networks and walk away with tangible knowledge. The Executives Breakfast and Luncheon created a convenient environment for entrepreneurs to offer valuable advice and build strategic connections.
At the Executives Breakfast, guests were prompted with the question: What are your best practices surrounding networking? Here are a few of the many responses:
Morrie Elstein, Vice President, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors: Take the high road and become a trusted partner. Everyone is always thinking about how to grow their business, and who their next client will be. Separate yourself by offering to help them grow their company. “How can I help you grow your business?”
Mark Meyer, President, ICI Staffing/E&M Development: Follow through on what you say you’re going to do, as it helps build your reputation and credibility. Also, reconnect with those who have supported you in the past. He jokingly added, “Attach yourself to Bill Himmelstein’s hip!”
Bill Himmelstein offered another discussion question at the Executives Luncheon: Most pivotal experience that has changed you and shaped the way you do business? Here are a few of their responses:
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners: Listened to the CEO of the company who had a formula for integrating companies with an 80/20 rule. Fire 75% of clients and then over serve your current clients. About 90% of revenue comes from the top 25% of clients. Focus assets on the most essential revenue streams.
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech: Read the Pumpkin Plan. If you fill your land with lots of little pumpkins, then the big ones will have no room to grow.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees and are interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Bruce Billmeyer, Partner, BCU Risk Advisors
Andrew Boron, President, Clear Spring
Steve Brown, CEO, Stratego Partners
Harry Cendrowski, CEO, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Jake Dayan, CEO, Community Tax
Morrie Elstein, Vice President, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Dave Feder, Principal, Office Revolution
Jon Fieldman, Managing Partner, Fieldman Law Group
Ben Fornell & Mike Dawson, Co Founder & CEO, Shurpa, Inc.
Keith Glantz, President, Glantz Design
Kevin Krumm, CEO, Objective Paradigm
Josh Lucas-Falk, Managing Director, Moment
Ben Olson, Managing Director, Forrest Capital Management
Mike O’Meara, CEO, O’Meara Capital Group
Paul Pagel, CEO, 8th Light
John Posner, CEO, Harrison & Held
Victoria Rock, CEO, Victoria Legal & Corporate Services
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXO Tech
Craig Stout, CEO, Stout Risius Ross
Jon Talty, Chairman & CEO, OKW Architects
Robert R. Topping, CFA, CEO, Topping Capital
Ivan Vislavskiy, CEO, Comrade Web Agency
Rob Wilson, President, The Wilson Companies
Nick Zagotta, Managing Partner, Roberts McGivney Zagotta
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Jeff Asperger- Meltzer, Purtille and Stelle, LLC
Daniel R. Bryant- Chief Executive Officer Sheridan Road Financial, LLC
Elizabeth Colón – President and CEO of Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions
Zak Dabbas- Co Founder & CEO of Punchkick Interactive
Morrie Elstein
Slava Ruderman- President of Onward Technologies
Donna Salvatore- CEO Magalytics
Marne Smiley- CEO Bumper Lanes
Karen Todd- Principal Aurore Financial Group
Ryan Ventura- CEO of VEO Solutions
Insightful discussions bloomed at the Tenant Advisory Group Executives Breakfast and Luncheon in March. At each of these events, entrepreneurs offered valuable advice prompted by a discussion question led by Bill Himmelstein.
At the Executives Breakfast, guests were asked: How do you help your employees be more successful? Here are a few of the many responses.
Jeff Bartelt, CEO, MidwestHR: You should communicate your vision for your company. Employees have a personal vision of where they want to be, so it’s important to align your visions and make sure to share goals and values at the beginning.
Steve Krull, CEO & Co-Founder, BeFoundOnline: A company’s culture can’t be contrived. You must put your values on the wall and wear them on your sleeve, as well as follow through on your promises. Being successful means believing in yourself and the people around you.
Entrepreneurs in attendance at the Executives Luncheon shared their advice based on the discussion question: What does success look like to you? Here are a few of their responses.
Steve Gustafson, Managing Partner, Gould & Ratner: It’s about creating ongoing relationships. The key to success is to be a long-term team member for their clients.
Rob Sprague, COO, Smart Lift: For a company to be profitable, build a healthy culture that develops people to be successful in business and life. Lead from your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re a business owner with 20+ employees and are interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Jeff Bartelt, CEO, MidwestHR
Martha Bell, Principal, Tilton, Kelly & Bell
Bruce Billmeyer, Partner, BCU Risk Advisors
Richard Carden, Managing Partner, MBHB
Bob Domenz, CEO, Avenue
Brad Farris, CEO, Anchor Advisors
Steve Gustafson, Managing Partner, Gould & Ratner
William D. Himmelstein, CCIM, CNE, Founder & CEO, Tenant Advisory Group, LLC
Rhonda Jensen, President, Jensen Litigation Services
Steve Krull, CEO & Co-Founder, BeFoundOnline
Joe Liberty, COO, Better Business Planning
Larry Marin, Vice President, Near North National Title
Chris Miller, Managing Partner, Kelley Kronenberg
John Naughton, Vice President, Juneau Associates
Adriano Pedrelli, Impact Polymer LLC
Mark Rickmeier, CEO, Table XI
Ken Thompson, Managing Director, Level X Consulting
Keith Verisario, President, Wine Sergi Insurance
Haskel Weiss, President, TWG Benefits
Jonathan Weiss, Managing Partner, Levin Ginsburg
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Joe Alioto, Managing Director, Madison Street Capital
Stuart Baum, President, Large Pond
Laurel Bellows, Managing Partner, Bellows Law Group
David Diamond, Managing Partner, Kutchins, Robins & Diamond
Morrie Elstein, Vice President, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Steve Gustafson, Managing Partner, Gould & Ratner
William D. Himmelstein, CCIM, CNE, Founder & CEO, Tenant Advisory Group, LLC
Tom Madura, Controller, Carroll Seating Company
Jordan Matyas, CEO, 1818 Advocacy Group
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Jonathan Rothstein, SVP, MB Financial Bank
Mohammed Saleem, President, AES Services
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech
Rob Sprague, COO, Smart Lift
Jordan Weiner, President, Internet Consulting Inc
February brought more than just snow this year. Tenant Advisory Group presented phenomenal networking opportunities for local business owners. Entrepreneurs across numerous industries gathered to expand their networks and find collaborative partnerships to grow their companies.
Both the monthly breakfast and luncheon saw valuable advice shared based on the discussion question: What’s the best way you’ve recently found new growth opportunities? Here are a few of the many responses:
Joanna Sobran, CEO of MXOtech: We used to do inbound marketing, but it stopped working. We hired a sales team, along with a coach, to buildout a sales playbook and processes to help hire a sales team.
Jonathan Rothstein, Senior Vice President, MB Financial Bank: I love finding ways to make my client’s lives easier, and one way I do that is through keeping the clients best interest at heart. We employ a marketing program called CORE; it breaks down the numbers to building a business and wants to be part of a client’s joint chief of staff.
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners: There are ten different ways to sell, but you need to track them all. The best one is networking, as partners are great at spurring growth.
Thank you to all who attended!
If you’re interested in attending future TAG events, please email Bill Himmelstein at Bill@TagCommercialBroker.com.
TAG Executives Breakfast Guest List
Steve Brown, President, Stratego
Andrea Fox, CEO, Cloud Dental Marketing
Dan Gloede, CEO, Hatch Loyalty
John Gotschall, CEO, Coach Financial
Rick Gray, Chief Executive Officer, TalentRISE
Richard Grossi, CEO,Kensium Solutions
Jerry Holisky, Managing Partner, AGDG
Rhonda V. Jensen, President, Jensen Litigation Solutions
Scott Kitun, CEO, Technori
Craig Lowder, President, MainSpring Sales Group LLC
Anna Maria Viti-Welch, President, Guy Vitti Insurance
Larry Marin, VP, Near North National Title
Chris Miller, Managing Partner, Kelley Kronenberg
Scott Nicholson, CEO, KindredOnore,LLC
Garrick Nielsen, Partner, Oxford Bank
Grigory Pekarsky, Managing Broker/Partner, Vesta Preferred Realty
Graham Peck, Founder, The Alpha Group
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Mark Rittmanic, CEO, ForteOne
Keith Verisario, President, Wine Sergi Insurance Group
TAG Executives Luncheon Guest List
Stuart Baum, President, Large Pond
Doug Bax, Managing Partner, Williams Bax & Saltman
Laurel Bellows, Managing Partner, Bellows Law Group
Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz, CEO, JJR Marketing
Melanie DeCaprio, President, New Sky Strategies
David Diamond, Managing Partner, Kutchins Robbins & Diamond
Bernard Dier, President, Midwest Business Consulting
Morrie Elstein, VP, Cendrowski Corporate Advisors
Erin Inman, President, Primera Engineering
Mindi Knebel, CEO, Kaizen Health
Margaret Pagel, VP, Sales & Marketing
Dan Porcaro, CEO, PSM Partners
Kim Robinson, President, Frontline
Ed Rossini, President, Palmer Printing
Jonathan Rothstein, SVP, MB Financial Bank
Jay Rudman, CEO, TopStepTrader
Joanna Sobran, CEO, MXOtech
Tim Webb, CIO & MP, RCM Wealth Advisors