YSS’ Post

Clay was a giant of a man who influenced people, organizations, and our system of capitalism as a whole. In working with Aileron, I had the opportunity to listen to him speak several times. Here are some of my favorite pieces of wisdom from those occasions: - "The most moral thing anyone can do is to put your capital at risk to create jobs for other people." - "Businesses are platforms for living out your true value system." - "We built a company that we would want to work at. Not a lot of politics, not a lot of autocrats. We liked to treat people the way we wanted to be treated. Be honest, be respectful, and treat others with dignity." - “[When transitioning to a new operating model] You have got to run the business two ways (just like when you buy a new computer and you run the new one, while you still do some things with the old one). It’s the same thing with the business processes. You will continue to push the new processes in, while you refine and remove the old ones. It’s hard work.” - "My largest business mistake was getting into the horse feed business. In the early days, I wasn't about focus. I was jumping from one thing to another." - "[When trying to balance patience and urgency in leading an organization] time is more valuable than you think it is. You have to bring your people along - you can't outrun or outgrow them and be successful." - "Never make a decision until you have to."

A list of (just some) of the toxic chemicals contained in this turf: •Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances •Lead •Carbon black •Styrene •Volatile organic compounds •Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

State Leaders in Early Education face many challenges on the road to Universal PreK - no matter where they are starting from. NASLEE members get the benefit of hearing from each other on how to address these challenges and scale policy as their programs grow! #NASLEE2023

Short origin story (with shoutouts)... Six years ago, Kristen King handed me the Bridge to Completion report created by the Tennessee College Access and Success Network & Nashville Public Education Foundation. This report started me down a path that I would devote my next 6 years of my life waking up every morning thinking about. As principal at RePublic Schools, my very next PD session was focused on this report and it became the backbone of my "why" and my "what" in education. Why were we measuring "success" on low-income students graduating from high school and getting accepted into college and not on students getting college degrees and being fruitful employees? What could we do to solve the problem of only 24% of Nashville students earning a college degree? Fast forward to 5 years ago, when Kristen and I were considering the idea of Persist Nashville, a good friend of mine, Stephen Zralek, connected me with Jennifer H. to have lunch. What I didn't know from that meeting was that, along with Bob Obrohta, Jennifer was the primary architect of the report that started me down the path. As a super energetic and often naive founder with an idea, Jennifer was willing to take a chance on me and be my first Board Chair. Once a month I would walk into Jennifer's office with a list of 17-19 ideas and she would tell me go for it, a gentle maybe, and only occasionally a no. Behind the scenes, Jennifer was making sure I was seated in the right rooms, listening to the people who really understood the problem of college persistence and could help us solve it. She often had to smooth over my rough edges and gracefully advocate for my good intentions. In all ways, she helped me and Persist grow. 2 years ago, Jennifer and I were selected for the Tennessee SCORE Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute, one of the best professional programs I've been a part of. Through these intensive retreats, something clicked, and I realized that Jennifer was really what our team at Persist needed. Her ability to understand and navigate complex systems, leadership style, and fierce advocacy for students was what Persist needed as we emerged from our infancy stage of organizational development. 1 year ago, my team agreed and unanimously voted to bring her on as our first Chief of Staff. Over the past year she has built a new strategic plan, helped me navigate one of the most challenging seasons of our organization, and built the systems we need to smartly grow. 1 day ago the Board approved Jennifer to be our next Executive Director and I could not be happier. You've helped this idea become a reality and now you and Kristen will take this reality to new heights. So thankful for you. For those wondering, I'm not leaving Persist. My role will shift down in July to focusing on our work outside of Nashville as I take on a new role serving schools in Nashville. More to come, but for now, cheers to Jennifer. You will be an extraordinary leader of our team!

Trust in American institutions is at an all time low. The solid, steady, strategic leadership of Gail McGovern has transformed the American Red Cross, modernizing every function, while ensuring continued faith in our lifesaving mission. We need such trust now, more than ever. We live in a warming world that is causing unimaginable devastation, and amidst a civil society facing increasing threats, which raises the need for blood, training, and community support. Due to Gail’s leadership, the American Red Cross is a future-focused, self-improving humanitarian organization committed to equity. Impact, and transparency. This is a remarkable legacy and a fine example of trust. American Red Cross

It was great hearing from prior Hiring Our Heroes alums talk about their previous experiences going through the Fellowship program. It helped put this first week at our host companies into perspective. The biggest takeaways that I got were: 1. Be humble and hungry to learn! 2. My network IS my net worth. 3. Treat every interaction as a potential interview and show you are a team player. 4. Soft skills > Technical skills 5. Remember to focus on my well-being. Any other advice from anyone for onboarding into a new job?

Something to think about

Congratulations to Gail McGovern on her upcoming retirement and a truly extraordinary career. I have never been as inspired by a leader as I was by Gail when I had the pleasure of working under her team at the American Red Cross. Gail not only turned around an organization that was struggling financially, she also managed to centralize and bring efficiencies, grow donations, bring amazingly innovative approaches to blood collections in order to help more patients in need, to name a few. It also amazes me that as the humanitarian need grew with the impacts of climate change – worsening wildfires, rise in number and strength of hurricanes and tropical storms, an increase in tragic shooting events that impacted all corners of the nation…Gail strategized, pivoted, innovated and worked tirelessly to meet the needs of those served by the American Red Cross. She also cared deeply about her employees. Entering into COVID with a new baby at home and adjusting to life as a family of 5 – I teamed up with two other amazing colleagues who were also moms. We believed, and were hearing from other employees, that the American Red Cross should have a paid parental leave – for new parents, but also for our “sandwich” generation, increasingly caring for both their children and aging parents. Gail assembled her leadership team, they listened to us, they asked us thoughtful questions, they allowed us to make recommendations for the plan and shared with us they also believed it was important and had been having conversations. In mere months, the plan was designed, announced and implemented for American Red Cross employees everywhere. I will always carry with me – and it has left an indelible mark on my heart – a quote Gail used often when working with employees on projects and initiatives: “It's okay to make a mistake; just try not to make the same mistake twice." To me that meant, have the courage to dare greatly without reservation about what happens if you fail. Flop. Come up short. It’s okay to be scared. BUT DO IT ANYWAY. Without this lesson – without Gail’s quiet resolve and confidence in her people to lead with heart and courage – I never would have taken the risk to follow my life’s path and dream to open a mental health clinic to help others and expand access to mental healthcare across New Hampshire and the country. #SleevesUp #HeartsOpen #AllIn

Throughout South Carolina, we’ve been building upon a track record of economic development success for several decades. While that momentum has continued to push us onward and upward, the South Carolina Department of Commerce recognizes that no one — no company, nor industry — is immune from the technological advancements happening throughout all business sectors.     With a nod to our heritage, an eye toward the future and a spirit of embracing innovation, S.C. Commerce today unveiled our new agency brand and tagline, Launch to Legacy. Ultimately, we want businesses to know that Launch to Legacy reinforces the fact that you can start, thrive, expand and build a legacy right here — and S.C. Commerce will be there to support you, every step of the way.    The rebranding process has taken over a year and involved many of our key partners and stakeholders to ensure representation across as many industry verticals as possible. It’s been a thoughtful and deliberate process, uncovering and focusing on some of South Carolina’s greatest attributes. We’re proud of the result, and we’re excited for what the future of economic development holds throughout our state!    Learn more about #LaunchToLegacy, including what it means according to a few South Carolina CEOs, in their own words: https://lnkd.in/ebmuS-vJ 

Studies show that LONGEVITY in the workplace often indicates a healthy organizational CULTURE and employee SATISFACTION. It suggests that employees find VALUE in their work, are ENGAGED, and are likely to have strong RELATIONSHIPS with their coworkers. Work Anniversaries are common at Fellowship Square. 5 Years, 10 Years, 15 Years, 20 Years, and even 30 Year Anniversaries have been celebrated! #fellowshipsquareseniorliving #independentliving #assistedliving #memorycare #skillednursing #homehealth #enhancedseniorliving https://lnkd.in/gb6rkiRF