Recap: FWD Summit 2022

FWDInsights

Apr 19

Heart. Mind. Bottom Line. – What does this really mean and how do these different areas relate to our personal and professional lives? In the FWD 2022 Summit, we not only dove into these different aspects of business and life, but listened to incredible music, collaborated, connected, and got vulnerable about what we do, why we do it, and how we can make a larger impact.

If you didn’t make it to the event (or if you want to relive all of the magic again), here’s a recap of the day and our powerful takeaways.

What Is ‘Heart Mind Bottom Line’?

The topic of this 2022 Summit focuses on three areas: heart (our passion and purpose), mind (our mental and emotional wellness), and bottom line (the dollars—and how we can profit not only financially, but in all other aspects of our lives).

In this event, we heard from:

Heart: Jeffery Beckham, CEO Chicago Scholars & Artist and Workshop by Marisa Donnelly, Founder, Be A Light Collective, Clarity Coach.
Mind: Dr. Wendy Borlabi, Chicago Bulls Director of Performance & Mental Health and Workshop by Audrey Boyle, Professor, Comedian, Consultant.
Bottom Line: Mel McSherry, International Business Guide, Speaker and Author of ‘She Profits’ and Workshop by L. Brian Jenkins, Founder of Mox.E & Entrenuity.

And remarks on entrepreneurship the journey to success from our host: Michael Donnelly, Founder, FWD Collective.

Heart, with Jeffery Beckham

First, we heard from Jeffery Beckham, CEO of Chicago Scholars and independent artist. In his talk, he spoke about the disconnect between leadership spaces and the lack of diversity, and particularly how frustrated he was not seeing other Black or female leaders in tech spaces.

This led him to his why: to change what the future (education and otherwise) looks like, especially for minority students, through Chicago Scholars.

Chicago Scholars aims to close the educational gap—especially with respect to the pandemic—and to provide both educational support/advice as well as opportunities for the students the organization serves. In his leadership role, Jeff shares how he has learned to create metrics and measures within his organization to move forward effectively, to be on the ground floor of the operation, to be more intentional about bringing people to the ‘heart’ of the operation, and to create tangible connection points that help continue Chicago Scholars’ purpose and growth.

As a leader, Jeff uses ‘the skill of influence’ to tap into what he calls the ‘creative life force’ that we all have, and as a result, bring people together with intention.

The ‘heart,’ especially when it comes to business, is all about growing collectively, providing a space where you can 'practice what you preach,’ and building something that continues to support all people involved. He also talked about his recent passion as an artist, and the value of disconnecting (via art or another medium) to help you slow down, discover other areas of interest, and use your passion(s) as a tool for honing in on who you individually are and can offer.

Notable Quotes:

“If we’re not here, on the ground floor, helping to decide and build the future, what does that mean for the future we’re walking?” — Jeffery Beckham
“The goal for leadership, to me, is not to acquire but to become. To constantly level up.” — Jeffery Beckham
“Every aspect of our organization is build and driven by the people that we’re serving.” — Jeffery Beckham
“In all things, your unique talents, ability, and gifts are yours—no one else’s. The gifts and visions given to you are yours.” — Jeffery Beckham
“I’ve sat with artists who are not just good but globally renowned artists and they will say, ‘Come by my studio. I will show you how to do it.’ Because artists realize something; they can show me a million times over how to do the same technique. But the minute my hand hits the canvas it’s a different hand.” — Jeffery Beckham
“When we talk about our life’s work, we all do better when we all do better.” — Jeffery Beckham
“To whom much is given, much is required.” — Jeffery Beckham
“Recognizing that we might not see the outcome of good, but our job is to continue to keep throwing rocks whether that’s through our voice, our hands, or our dollar—we have to throw rocks.” — Jeffery Beckham
"Leadership isn't something you seek; it finds you." — Jeffery Beckham
"The worst thing we can do is tell ourselves no." — Jeffery Beckham

Key Takeaways:

If you want to be a good leader, you have to recognize when the opportunities come your way (because sometimes leadership isn’t something you search for—it finds you!), and you have to be willing to put in the work on the ground floor.
You have to move away from ‘performance’ (especially with respect to DEI) and instead move forward actionably (in your life and business) so that you can truly be intentional about the moves you make.
Curating a ‘Personal Life Board of Directors’ is valuable for meaningful adviser-ship in both business—and life!

Workshop: ‘The Heart of Business’ by Marisa Donnelly

For the ‘Heart’ workshop, Marisa Donnelly, Founder of Be A Light Collective and host of The VulnerABILITY Podcast, focused on the underlying aspects of what we do (in our personal, professional and creative lives) and our ‘why.’

To start, she dove into the circular nature of her career and how her willingness to get vulnerable through writing on the internet opened doors for her to carve and curate intentional spaces for connection, conversation, and collective growth. Using her personal journey as an example of authenticity, she emphasized the importance of letting go of the world’s expectations and instead finding ways to inject personality, honesty, and truth into our everyday lives (even when it’s hard!).

She also talked about her stepparenting (or ‘bonus’ parenting) story and how becoming a mother figure to her fiance’s stepson changed how she looked at every aspect of her life—and ultimately shifted her priorities and reactions to situations to more of ‘leading with love.’

Marisa encouraged the audience to focus on ways to grow your ‘heart’—by focusing on your ‘why,’ listening to others, having conversations/connections with others who are different than you, and continually reassessing your place, purpose, and values in order to grow meaningfully over time. She also led the group through a short prompted writing segment to encourage the audience to slow down, reflect, and consider ways each person could be more intentional, open, or receptive in their day-to-day.

Notable Quotes:

"I believe that 'heart' is a crucial aspect of how we move through life: personally, professionally, and creatively." — Marisa Donnelly
"Knowing our own 'heart' can help inform our business practices and how we relate to others." — Marisa Donnelly
"Vulnerability & authenticity are not weaknesses (they're strengths!) and not for a certain type of person." — Marisa Donnelly
"'Leading with love' can (and will) shift your decision-making and guide you in high-conflict moments." — Marisa Donnelly

Key Takeaways:

'Heart' is possible, purposeful, and VALUABLE in personal AND professional spaces.
Openness is not weakness.
YOU can be the catalyst for change.
What you absorb becomes your reality.
Invest in conversations and people.
Consistently evaluate/reevaluate your mission, vision, and values to keep in alignment.

Mind, with Wendy Borlabi

The ‘Mind’ talk was given by Wendy Borlabi, Director of Performance & Mental Health for the Chicago Bulls. To start, she dove into the background of her career and challenges she has faced as far as learning to take up space in her professional as a Black woman, especially with respect to being in a largely male-dominated atmosphere. She also talked about difficult decisions made in the beginning of her journey, with respect to deciding between a work-focused atmosphere and positive career track, and what would support her socially.

As such, the focus of her speech was on the ‘Spokes of Mental Wellness’ and how different areas: physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, occupational, and social, must coexist in order for you to be (and feel!) successful.

However, you will not always have an equal balance between the spokes—and this is okay! Sometimes one area will be compromised so that you can grow in another, and sometimes you will have less of something but more of something else.

Wendy also talked about recognizing your emotions, and understanding that oftentimes our response emotion isn’t actually related to the current situation at all, but something underlying or something unresolved that’s causing a response. Learning to process those emotions, give ourselves time and grace, and creating a balance within your ‘wheel’ is important to keep you grounded.

Notable Quotes:

"Be the best you in your corner of the world." — Dr. Wendy Borlabi
"The [spokes of mental wellness] don't have to be 100% [for] 100% of the time." — Dr. Wendy Borlabi
"Anger is a secondary emotion... You reflect anger after feeling insecure, lack of confidence, etc." — Dr. Wendy Borlabi
"Compare yourself to yourself." — Dr. Wendy Borlabi

Key Takeaways:

Find your balance within your ‘spokes.’ What you need at any given time may change (and may not be even) and that’s okay.
Give yourself grace.
Self-awareness is the foundation for growth.
‘Smell yourself often’ in order to assess what/where you may need to grow or change.

Workshop: ‘Soft Skills To Solve Hard Problems,’ by Audrey Boyle

The ‘Mind’ Workshop, ‘Soft Skills To Solve Hard Problems,” led by Audrey Boyle, focused on developing ‘soft skills’ which are key for growth personally, professionally, and creatively. Soft skills, as Audrey explained, are ‘personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.’ She honed in on the following seven: Communication, Adaptability, Teamwork, Creativity, Leadership, Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Empathy, and talked about how critical it is to not only develop the soft skills that come natural to you, but also how you can use specific skills to develop your path and purpose.

To start, Audrey talked about her roles in different areas—everything from social media and comedy, to mentorship and working in areas of high emotion and vulnerability—and how this has led her to think more deeply about soft skills that resonate with her (and others). She then turned the lens outward, saying “It all starts with you,” as a reminder of how crucial it is to know your own role and accountability in the process.

Audrey also made the analogy of ‘making rice’ and how each person does this differently. However, we often fail to account for the kernels already in the pot before we pour the water. She explains that if you’re inspired and learning something new, your goal should be to think about what you’ve learned and or what you need to unlearn in order to truly change your behavior/actions.

As such, she led the audience down a circular path of self-curiosity, objective, and unlearning in order to develop that soft skill.

Notable Quotes:

"Pick your objective and then think about how/what you need to unlearn." — Audrey Boyle

"The 5 D's are direction, diffusion, delivery, description, and distraction." — Audrey Boyle
"Are you a leader of yourself?" — Audrey Boyle
“There is a natural progression of DEI through employing more soft skills.” — Audrey Boyle
“It all starts with you.” — Audrey Boyle

Key Takeaways:

Remember that it starts with you.
You have the greatest influence on yourself, as well as the communities and people around you.
If you build your soft skills, you will also be able to better connect with others and support true DEI efforts.
The number one, most critical soft skill is empathy.

Bottom Line, with Mel McSherry

Although Mel McSherry’s talk was centered on the ‘bottom line,’ meaning the financial aspect and profitability, she actually started off by recognizing the importance of profitability not being focused solely on the money. One of her first questions to the audience was the ‘why’ behind starting their businesses or professional ventures. What was quickly discovered was that there wasn’t a single person who stepped into their path solely because of money.

And, as a result of this realization in her own life, Mel decided to flip her hierarchy of needs from ‘money, money, goals, money’ to something more balanced, focusing on a mix between work, family, friends, and time. She then honed in on those mental and emotional probability points in her own life to build her own version of success—not easy, but simple—that looks at the motivation first.

After sharing her own journey, Mel talked with the audience about shifting the way the ‘to-do’ lists look, being less about what ‘should ‘ do and more of what you ‘want’ to do (what she calls ‘taming your time’), and how you can look at your goals with a three-part lens: mental, emotional, and financial.

She also talked about honoring your emotions in challenging moments, giving yourself time to effectively regroup, and worrying less about being ‘balanced’ and more about having what she calls a ‘blend’ of your two ‘jars’—business and personal—recognize and embrace the shifts life. Then, the moneymaking comes easier as you’re focused on a more holistic approach.

Notable Quotes:

"Tame your time." — Mel McSherry
"You always have time." — Mel McSherry
"The beautiful thing is that every single one of us has unlimited capability and possibilities of what we want to create when we want. But unfortunately, so many of us don't even get close because we get so bogged down by everything we think we need to do." — Mel McSherry
"You can be profitable right now." — Mel McSherry
"You can't be rich if you are mentally and emotionally broke." — Mel McSherry
“When you have that aspect of what you really want, that gives you the main frame and the mindset of what you can do in that day to be profitable—both mental and emotional—which will always bring along the financial.” — Mel McSherry
"What can you delegate OUTSIDE of your business to help INSIDE your business?" — Mel McSherry

Key Takeaways:

If you focus on all aspects of profitability (mental, emotional, and financial) you will find true success. Become less about the money and more about your time, family/friends, and mental health to create a healthy ‘blend’ (rather than a balance).
Try to ‘tame the time' you have to create more of what you want.
Ask yourself what you want and aim to add that into your daily ‘to-do’ lists and schedules.

Workshop: Bottom Line by L. Brian Jenkins

In this Bottom Line Workshop by L. Brian Jenkins, he focused on two main areas: business ownership and character.

After talking about his past and why he primarily focuses on the service and support of Black, Brown, and Women entrepreneurs in particular, he discussed the behind-the-scenes of his journey to entrepreneurship and non-profit work, and why he values developing others’ businesses/careers as a ‘bottom line.’

Being a man of faith, Brian also discussed how his religious background helped him to see the value of service; as such, his career has been about developing businesses, and specifically helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into businesses.

‘Business ownership is not a game,’ was his key phrase, and as he talked about his journey, his books, and his vision, he helped the audience to see the value of defining a ‘bottom line’ as support of those who need it the most. It’s not about the money, but about what you can do for others.

Brian also talked about how situations that go awry—from a failed venture to the location of your business falling through (what he himself had experienced!)—can lead you to a better and more solid foundation. Despite the trials, good things can come (and often in unexpected places).

He closed out our afternoon with a powerful reminder that in light of difficulty, there is—and always will be—hope.

Notable Quotes:

"Sometimes the Lord (in my case), will use situations that you think are calamity for his own purpose.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Sometimes your problem is your opportunity. Sometimes your calamity, you can actually turn that and be courageous about that. That’s Black life.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Business, for me, is about responsibility, not only to myself, but for the generations beyond me, and also for the youth.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs to transfer ideas into businesses.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“The impact of [your] bottom line is a result of your good process." — L. Brian Jenkins
“I believe in enterprise, certainly for. . the gap of median net worth between Black families and White families.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Intentional disinvestment requires intentional investment.” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Entrepreneurship is not a game, business ownership is not a game—it’s an opportunity for people to survive. And this is why we need business ownership” — L. Brian Jenkins
“Everything begins and ends with a person’s character.” — L. Brian Jenkins

Key Takeaways:

One of the most powerful things you can do is serve others (and find what you love that serves others).
Business ownership is not a game; it’s about survival.
Sometimes the difficult moments of your life can lead to greater purpose, inspiration, and healing.

Books/Resources Mentioned:

Learning From Insights: What Others Don’t See
She Profits: The Outrageously Simple 5- Point Entrepreneurial Profit Plan
The Next 5 Moves

Sponsor Shout-Out:

HUGE thanks to everyone who joined us and shout out to our incredible sponsors: Mox E Co-Working, Entrenuity & Overflow Coffee (our incredible hosts!), Insperity, Inner Circle, Be A Light Collective, Jayinex, Feel Real, StartingUp Now CFO, Bovard CPA, Red Suede Shoes! We are so thankful for your support and partnership in making this event as incredible as it was!

Let’s Get Connected:

Didn’t catch FWDSummit22?! See what you missed right here.

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