Hogwarts Birthday

The following is the culmination of 60 days worth of planning for our daughter's 6th birthday party. Man were we excited when she said she wanted a Harry Potter birthday party. First off we had to get our costumes in order. The kids (Ben 8 and Allie the birthday girl) costumed up in authentic Gryffindor house robes and ties. I got to work on a Hagrid costume and my wife was set to play Professor McGonagall. A close friend also agreed to play Professor Trelawney, and did some timely divination with the kids as we waited for everyone to arrive. The house was decorated with a series of Harry Potter themed signage for the guests as they came up the driveway. Hargid was set up on the front to greet the 13 guests we were expecting. All the guests arrived in some sort of wizard or witch attire, further adding the fun and atmosphere.

Once we had all our guests they were escorted to the first floor, candle lit with a roaring fire in the fireplace, for the sorting ceremony. This was a big hit with the kids! Hagrid discretely acted as the voice of the sorting hat, starting off by singing the sorting hat song from book 1. We had mostly Gryffindors in the group with a few Hufflepuffs!

From there we passed out Marauders Maps to all the kids, and after the required reciting of "I solemnly swear I am up to no good", they were led around the Hogwarts grounds on a scavenger hunt. The culmination was unearthing a chest filled with magic wands buried in a pile of leaves just outside the forbidden forest. The kids filed in and up the stairs to the main activities table, where they all had the chance to decorate their own wands. This went surprisingly quickly so we opted to move everyone into an adjoining room for gifts. The end of gifts we had a golden snitch balloon drop which turned into a chaotic bout of fun!

The hit of the party happened next. We cleared off the wand decorating items and set up the potions class. This included each kid pairing up, and listening intently to our Professor Trelawney (Snape was away for the day). Ingredients included Troll Bogies (dish soap), Troll dandruff (baking soda) and a few other Troll items (vinegar and green water). The kids were talked through adding the necessary ingredients, with the finale being a big, bubbling mess that left the kids screaming and giggling! It was then cake time (after we cleared off the mess) and all enjoyed a HP themed cake of chocolate and vanilla!

Finally, the end was near. We thought it would be funny to have a pool party. After all it was late October in VT, some of the ski hills were already open, it was freezing out and even snowed that morning! The pool was steaming like a witch's cauldron! Most of the kids changed into their swim suits and dashed across the lawn and jumped into our pool, which we spent days heating up to a toasty 90 degrees! This was a great way to end our magical gathering and it was fun watching their little feet scurry across the freezing lawn and back into the warmth of the house!

1600/Allie+6th+Birthday+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> This was one for the ages, and we all had a great time planning and executing this little bash! Now its time to start planning our son's party, due to happen in a few months!

Does our government have a reset button?

So the government is taking their ball and going home, who cares I think? After all its not like our elected officials have any real clue about what its like to be in the trenches. Well I was wrong. I stand to have a significant number of client's deals not happen, or at least sit idle until our mighty elected stop holding their collective breaths and right the ship. There are so many great memes out there that bring home the equivalent of what is up for grabs here. My favorite is the one that shows a family's income, compared to what they are spending, and their cumulative deficit as a result. If any of us lived the way the government has been conducting itself we'd be screwed, simple as that. So why do they get a pass? So anyway, I have a wonderful collection of deals in the works that are in need of a small business administration guaranty, but guess what? That program is considered non essential so all these hard working folks, trying to put together a business of their own (remember, the American dream), can only sit and wait for some resolution. Is that a big deal, you're damn right it is. Here is why, some are waiting to sign leases, some are waiting to order equipment, some are waiting to hire. Sure sounds like all those wonderful things that all these donkeys ran their campaigns on right? Stimulating the economy. Creating small businesses, you know the back bone of the economy. Well you're not going to believe this but that was all a bunch of lip service. So the next election remember this collection of Washingtonians, and get some new folks in there that are working in the interest of we the people. In fact let's really get nuts and keep campaign contributions to $50 a head, its damn hard to feel any obligation to folks if they only drop $50 in the pot. Oh yes, and let's also do away with lobbyists. I mean really, a job whose sole purpose is to try to influence policy? Shouldn't we as the folks voting these people into office be the people they ultimately report to and shouldn't we be the ones that dictate policy? It all seems to simple, yet it is also so hard. Let's start with having longer memories, I know I will come election day when I remember all these wonderful small businesses, sitting on the side lines, as our current group of elected fumble, bumble and fake smile their way through this mess. Shame on all of them, grow up. We deseve so much better.

Volcanoes Nation: Salem-Keizer Volcanoes BP for Charity

Great post from my west coast brother! Take a peek. Volcanoes Nation: Salem-Keizer Volcanoes BP for Charity: Editor's note: to learn more about contributing to Salem-Keizer Volcanoes charities, and specifically of the Volcanoes charity work wit...

Go Big or Go Home......Independence Day 2013

The excitement, like the humidity was palpable in Montpelier on Wednesday afternoon. It was parade time again, and my bank was submitting another of its now legendary floats (see prior posts). You see since we opened up shop in Montpelier back in 2001 we have had a float submission in the annual parade, this year would be no different. Well actually it would be different, in a big way, so big in fact that we had to add a float to accomodate the level of awesomeness we planned to bring! And we were convinced the kids in the crowd would really appreciate our level of madness this year! (let me pre apologize for the level of exclamation points and use of the term awesome (in all its forms)).



The crew pre parade, it would be a hot humid ride, and we all dropped a few pounds along the way, but thankfully we were prepared to stay properly hydrated!

  The most fun about this year's parade was that we had a wonderful mix of folks helping out with the floats. Jackie, one of our unstoppable tellers, and her son and soon to be daughter in law brought their A game in a big way! Jackie was our Chewbacca, and her son and DIL came in homemade Sith (if you don't know what a Sith is stop reading now) costumes to terrify the little parade attendees! Jackie's husband once again stepped up to help get the floats decorated! Jackie's boy also brought along a vintage Return of the Jedi Stormtrooper costume, that a customer, Mr. Scott (Scotty too Hotty) Kerner, happily wore for the show to include a jet black, full body lycra bodysuit (I remind you it was 80 something with 199% humidity!)!


Unimogging

Did I mention Ms. Regan Howard and Mr. Pat Malone taking the time to drive their wicked sweet Unimog so we could get all our folks up and off the street? I had no idea what a Unimog was but after seeing this bad boy I want one! Joe Preddy, from our trust group (CFSG), showed up as a stormtrooper as did yours truly. We can always rely on JP to take one for the team!




This thing had a hand grenade for a shifter, seriously, how sweet is that?



It doesn't stop there, we randomly tossed in the Statue of Liberty, eloquently played by Natalie out of Montpelier and who can forget Princess Lorraine, err I mean Princess Leia?? And how about the forelorned walkers?? Joanne, Kathy, Linda (1) and Linda (2) and Jen kept a good pace to keep up with our little army of awesomeness. So we had a beautiful mix of workers, family, friends and customers all helping out!




The pre game was as much fun as the actual parade, with a few customers popping by to check out the scene!

 

And how could we forget the annual operator of our main float Putt, who somehow is 12 for 12 in not losing any of the fine folks perched atop the float (and trust me we were operating at a balance disadvantage based on the pre game festivities). 




All hands on butt! No one said we were an eloquent bunch and the Unimog was a bit of a challenge to get up into BUT many hands make for easy work. How many bankers does it take to get a Princess in a Unimog? Turns out a commercial lender, teller and mortgage lender!


  We spoke to a ton of folks in the crowd that commented that when they heard John Williams "Imperial March" and saw our floats round the corner there was a wave of excitement that flowed through the crowd of 20,000 strong! The Stormtroopers, armed with water guns, couldn't spray the crowd fast enough to cool them down! We heard a ton of "that's my bank!" which is always fun and saw so many friendly, familiar faces throughout the parade route! The humidity had an added bonus, anyone that was in a costume easily dropped 10 pounds from start to finish!




Vader's Fist


So now we start planning for next year but frankly its going to be difficult to top this one! A big thanks again to all of you that came to help, participate or that cheered us on along the way! Booyakasha!

 

Princess Lorraine stole the show!




Pretty sure if the neighbors on Winter Street never hear the "Imperial March" again they will be ok with that! and yes, we threw the Statue of Liberty on the float, random I know, but we thought it was funny...



Everyone Loves a Parade!

Tis the season, time to dust off the costumes and get ready for some fun. No I'm not talking about Halloween, I'm talking about the annual Independence Day celebration in Montpelier VT. When I started working at the bank I'm at now it was a prerequisite to get up on a float and smile and wave to the 20,000 strong that come every year. At first I resisted, after all that can be pretty intimidating but I quickly overcame any inhibitions.




Blowing kisses to my wife and kids!

 

So the first year I was pretty traditional, opting to dress as my favorite founding father, Benjamin Franklin (my boy is named Benjamin after BF, and also after the greatest Jedi Master from the old republic, Ben Kenobi (Obi Wan to the layperson)). That was fun, we smiled and waved and no one knew who I was.

Then this happened:




Terrifying

 

Yup, that is my daughter dashing out of the picture frame, and no one believed that I would show up as Jumpsuit Elvis. I did and it got a ton of laughs and was more fun than I genuinely care to admit. I was joined by two other Elvises (is that how you pluralize Elvis?) but they were more traditional than the nightmare outfit you see to your right.

So how do you top chubby Elvis? Well you surprise everyone in your group by showing up dressed as a Stormtrooper. Why? Why not? Throw in two squirt guns and you have yourself a recipe for some real fun! You see when you are hidden away behind a mask the world is yours for the taking, and we took quite a bit last year! Sorry to any of you that got the bad end of the squirt gun thing by the way....




Washington was a bit surprised when I strolled up in this outfit!

 





Again, sorry to those of you I got,,,, not really.

 


No that isn't a PBR. Get your eyes checked.

  So we're at it again this year, July 3rd in Montpelier. And we are going all in with Star Wars! We'll have two stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, a group of Jedi Knights and one very bad $%^ Sith Lord. If you are around check out the parade, it starts at 6 and there is a ton to do downtown before and after!

Moral of the post, get up, get involved, and make it your own! Have fun, after all everyone loves a parade!

Saying Thank You.....

When was the last time you thought about your customers not in terms of balance sheets and income statements, but in terms of what they bring to the community? How do they give back? More importantly, how do they positively impact those around them?

Does that even matter? I think it does. I was lunching with one of my favorite COIs (that's center of influences) a few weeks back and he asked me why I liked my job? He commented that I seemed to have somehow struck the right balance of work, family and fun. Well that isn't entirely the case but I try like hell to keep a balance of all of them. More importantly I try to combine them as often as I can. A day in the office for my daughter is as fun to her as a day at Santa's Village, I know right? Any chance I get to include the kids here to be a part of my daily chaos that is work I get them here. I call her my little assistant, she sets up at the closing table and colors and ensures I'm properly hydrated. I've mentioned before my son's first closing was when he was 6 months old. And work is a lot more fun when they are around.

But what about the customers? How do I be their banker and still have some fun with them? It seems to me (and this is my blog so I guess I can do this here) the most important thing you can do is really get to know the folks you bank (yup, that can mean beers and golf). Not just get to know them but also their employees and if you can their families. I'm thinking of one customer in particular where I know everyone's name or they know me, and this is a pretty big company with 40+ employees. You see when you really get to know your customers, and not just in terms of their financials or when the next great opportunity will arrive, but really get to know them and what motivates them you gain a real appreciation for them. Which makes you want to serve them better. Oh yes, and it can be a great deal of fun getting to know them along the way. After all if you have to work all day you may as well enjoy the folks you work with!

Think of it this way as I can tell I'm getting too verbose here, look at the number of employees your customer has, then think about the number of families within your community that are impacted by their being in business...... Right? Makes a difference doesn't it? Puts a more real face on what could otherwise be seen as just another "transaction". And why not say "thanks for your business" every once in a while? Or better yet, "thanks for all that you are doing to make our community stronger". I find that sometimes when I say this customers don't get my meaning and I tell them what I noted earlier, you aren't just a business, you are the support system for (insert number of employees) and their families!

So go ahead, go out there and get to REALLY know your customers, AND their employees. Put a smile on some of their faces in the next few days by simply saying thank you for what you do!

Hog Island

                                      

                      I was born in 1976. That same year my Uncle and Grandfather purchased a chunk of land in a town called West Swanton (swae'en to the locals) aka Hog Island. They planted 600 apple trees and the next 22 years of my life were spent growing that little orchard. You see the Bourgeois family always had a business, prior to this little gentleman's apple farm there was a cement block factory for the kids, the idea being we would learn how to work from a young age and grow to appreciate the things that we had. No computers or video games in our homes, you see myself, my brother and two cousins, we had an orchard to take care of and a farm store to run.

I can still remember the first apples we sold there, we had a small store with a roll up garage door and we put out a bunch of half peck bags of our apples, and people came. We processed sales with a calculator and a pen, and we tracked every sale we made this way, and we got paid for it! Sweet! We also had a chance to spend invaluable time with my grandparents along the way learning life's lessons.

After all could there be a better learning experience than a Canadian in a speedo trying to swindle a 12 year old on the exchange rate? Or hearing some truly off colored jokes from the tourists and locals alike that visited our shop? Nope, that was a real eye opener and I learned some great people skills dealing with the myriad of folks that came through the door. I started out as a shy kid, cowering at kindergarten crying until the day was over, to the person I am today, who doesn't know when to shut up!

How about being a teenager having all my friends as employees with our charge being getting all the apples off the tree? That was a fun time, and one memory that sticks out is a particularly vicious apple fight where my friend Todd was hit in the head, while up in a tree, quickly toppling over with a full basket of apples to the ground. I'm pretty sure that was his last day in the fields!

Or how about the wisdom passed on from my grandparents about hard work. One great lesson was measure twice and cut once. This was a bit of a joke to my cousin and I and I recall vividly building our cider mill, you see we were there for the crap work, literally straightening nails. I guess this was the low man on the totem pole thing. My grandfather was working with a screw gun (back when you plugged them in). My cousin Jeremy and I were joking about standing on the cord and how much trouble we could get in if we actually did that, well we screwed up and did, needless to say we straightened our last nail that day.

Or how about painting the equipment shed, and pretending that we fell off the ladder and screaming for help to our grandmother, who had close to a heart attack when she discovered us. I still laugh about it but that day it wasn't half as funny as we thought it would be!

The orchard was a great place to learn the ins and outs of running a business, in a safe environment. The people skills and business skills we developed as a family, all working together still serve me well today in my current capacity. I am hopeful that we can discover a way to impart the same experiences into our own kids, the opportunity to work a business and see how the in and out of business works at a young age.

I never once longed for a childhood where we could have sat in front of a video game, after all what could be better than a common place where you get to spend summers and the fall with your family, learning about life. Those are memories that I would never trade, and I'm thankful everyday for the "investment" my family made in their children and grandchildren, to teach us about life and the world of running a small business.

This time of year always reminds me of days spent in the fields and at the store, family closely around me, the smell of pies baking, the sweet taste of fresh pressed cider, and I'm hopeful that somehow I can give my own kids the same memories and opportunity at a young age to experience the joys of entrepreneurship and the importance of family values. .

To Cold Call Or Not To Cold Call, that is the question

Don't do it. Just don't. I used to do some cold calling when I was a banking pup and my favorite thing to do was walk into an office, pretend to throw dirt on the floor, and then announce to the front desk person that I had something in my car that would clean up that mess in seconds.....why? Because compared to a vacuum salesman a banker doesn't seem that bad. Another move was to ask if they had found Jesus in their heart, I know I know, how dare I, but it was always fun to watch their reaction and once again compared to what could have been, a chubby little banker in a cheap suit didn't seem so bad.

Did I ever get through the door? Sometimes. But it was so incredibly unfulfilling and you always felt a little dirty when you left. Cold calling is dealing in transactions and you should be dealing in relationship building.

I've been in this game since 1998, and spent many years being the "new guy", working hard to ingratiate myself with the local business people (and other lenders). First, I tried to emulate those other bankers around me, the corn toothed, "we know more than you because we're bankers", types. Well that wasn't genuine and it didn't work. I couldn't stand myself. The eye opener was a chamber mixer where I decided "screw it, I'll just be myself". It worked and I'm pretty sure I freaked out my more traditional counter parts, which made it all the more fun.

The first step in this "awakening" is to figure out who you are as a salesperson, which is really who you are as a person. Do you like to swap stories, BS, grab a beer, swing some clubs (or swing a bat, I spent the afternoon last week hitting balls with a client) OR are you a more methodical mind, that enjoys the challenge of delving into a balance sheet? Are you an in the office or out of the office kind of person? I'm out of the office, more than in, out with my clients, looking at their numbers, touring their sites, testing their products (Heady Topper anyone?).

Once you identify what your interests are and who you are as a salesperson, look around. Identify organizations and businesses that mirror who you are and what you like to do. Rotary? Lions? How about the board of a local economic development company? I've said this before, don't do too much but do something. Attend all the chamber events, get your face out there often and meet as many people as you can.

Another super fun way to get out there is to identify the local watering hole where the heavy hitters play. It could be the local coffee shop, pub or breakfast joint. Once you figure out the "hot" spots, start inviting some of the folks you genuinely enjoy being around out for a pop, or a coffee, or breakfast/lunch. Do this once a week if you can. And mix it up. At some point you will have a small little network to feed from, and be sure to get this network together on occassion. SERVICE the crap out of your clients, I'm talking over the top stuff (I never close a loan at my bank, I go to them). Good service gets people talking. And good service comes from knowing your customers and genuinely caring about their success (again transactional versus relationship). Its the answered text at 9 pm on a Sunday that will stick in folks minds.

Your biggest success will come not from what you can do for folks directly, rather it will come when you can connect key members of your network. For example, your client complains that his accountant just takes his numbers at year end and pukes them onto a tax return, he needs more. Well you just so happen to have a rockstar accountant in your tight little group that goes the extra mile for his clients and adds value. Set up a lunch, introduce them. I've done this several times and those clients are still some of my most loyal that thank me at least a few times a year for making the connection.

Finally, get your mentors lined up, and cherry pick those qualities that you feel would work for you. After all, a good mentor will happily share their life lessons, that is years of experience for free! Here is a piece to chew on from an old co-worker, your customer knows more than you do, always. Never try to outsmart them, its gross. Give them advice, observations for sure, but don't grandstand, no one cares how smart you think you are.

In short, scrap cold calling. Instead go out and be yourself, meet people, help people, connect people and LISTEN to them. Being yourself can be risky as not everyone is going to like you, so what, its a big world.

White Lightning

Smell that? Hear that? Feel that? Its baseball season again. Yes, the Sox are off to a great start but I'm not talking MLB, I'm talking about all the little fields all over the country filling up with all of tomorrow's superstars. I have the distinct pleasure of coaching my 8 year old's baseball team again this year and I can not wait for the season to start. Why?

Why not! You get to hang with your kids, meet their friends, and their friend's parents. You get to help sculpt little minds with all sorts of coaching insights, you get to teach the greatest game that ever was created, baseball! My God just writing this makes me want to hit the field and start throwing live BP to our collection of super outstanding kids.

Don't get me wrong, we're not turning double plays, we're likely to barely get the ball out of the infield but who cares! It is fundamentals time! Time to set the base. Baseball for me growing up was more important than my family, I didn't worry about staying out late on Friday night because my folks might punish me, I was more worried about letting down the team. You see for those of you that never partook in team sports there is a wonderfully familial type dynamic that happens on a baseball field. You rely on each other, you cheer on each other, you look out for each other on and off the field. You are a baller, through and through.

So we're called White Lightning, I get a kick out of the name, and yes its another term for moonshine. Call it an inside joke. We put the name in place last year and you know what? All the boys from the team last year are already asking me when they will be getting their new White Lightning jerseys, they feel like a part of something, and I love being along for the ride.

The parents mostly are awesome, and pitch in to help with practice and at game time. Again, is there a better way to really get to know the kids yours are hanging out with than to actively be their coach? Get to see them in action? Meet their parents? Some of my favorite friends are the parents of my son and daughter's friends!

So if you get the chance coach. If you can't coach, help out however you can. I can PROMISE you that you will get a wonderful sense of fulfillment from being directly involved in your kids life! Don't have time? BS, make the time! As Ferris Bueller said, life moves pretty quickly, if you don't slow down every once in a while you might miss it! And after all, whatever is at the office, whatever outdoor work you think you need to do, will still be there long after the last pitch is tossed and your done having pizza and creamees with the team. Get some!

Han Shot First.

I was born in 1976. One year later the greatest space story ever told began. So put on your nerd hat folks, I'm going to dedicate this one to the best character in cinematic history, Han Solo. The name says it all, and growing up I emulated Han to keep me alive on the mean playgrounds of my youth right through the trials and tribulations of high school and college. Even had my own wookiee, in fact I had two. Better safe than sorry and as you all know its not wise to upset a wookiee.

So how has Han guided me post high school and college? Are there valuable lessons to learn from this deliciously awesome character. You bet there are, so here we go.

First surround yourself with the right people, folks that you trust implicitely to support you through thick and thin. This goes for friends, family and co-workers. In Han's case he had a wookiee, no one else (ok, he also bagged a princess but more on that later). And all he needed was Chewie, a good blaster at his side and the right ship, the legendary Millenium Falcon (you know, the ship that made the kessel run in less than 12 parsecs). So find your wookiee (or wookiees), and also the right equipment. In my case its my beautiful bride, kids, handful of friends (Seinfeld said any more than 3 is too much work) and select co-workers (now and prior). My blaster? Simple, the right smart phone. You don't need much else.

Second. Keep your enemies or in our case competitors closer. Think Lando here, classic Sabacc competitor (for those of you that don't know Sabacc is a card game, Han won the Falcon from lando in one of these games), that often bested Han at the table. BUT when push came to shove (or in Han's case his ship failed him and his soon to be father in law was breathing down his neck), he turned to Lando to help. Sure there was a bit of a misunderstanding, the whole carbonite thing with Boba Fett and Jabba for example, but in the end Lando came through. Lesson? I've said this before, get to know your competitors, you never know when you'll need them!

Third. Nothing beats a knowing smile. Seriously. We all know that person when talking to us that flashes a sideways grin, like they know something we don't. Be that guy (or gal). Its fun. In fact I believe of all the Solo attributes I've sought to emulate, the sideways grin is my go to move. It keeps people on their heels, right where you want them to be!

Finally, there hasn't been a cockier character in cinema than Han (Tony Stark takes a close second, and I'm sure I'll have some Iron Man insights on here soon). Kid Rock says it ain't cocky if you back it up, so live by that folks. After all, if its the bottom of the ninth and you can choose between two closers to seal the game up, you going to pick the one that is oozing with enthusiasm and self assurance, or the other that won't even make eye contact? You know the answer so be that person, after all people like to be around people that believe in themselves.

Now we wait for Episode 7, to see how the Solo saga wraps up. Stay tuned.

Side note here, when your wife texts that she loves you she will not see the humor when you answer "I know", so steer clear of that Hanism.....

Do you have any cinematic characters that influenced you growing up? Who and how? I'm always curious.......

Wretched fees......

We live in a fee crazy world. Buy a car, pay some fees, get a loan at a bank, pay some fees, switch cell phones, pay some fees, forget to feed the meter, pay some fees (and pay them quick or you will pay even more fees). fee fi fo fum, fees. It is a delicate topic with customers, and I have yet to meet one that is excited to pay them. I switched my cell phone the other day at Verizon, sales guy had the best saying when I questioned it. He said "even Mrs. Verizon has to pay this". Got a kick out of that. Ultimately with a good explanation, and keeping the fees reasonable, most folks understand the reasoning.

I had a very interesting conversation last week with one of my clients, some very good people doing some very good work here in CVT. We were contemplating a rate reduction as well as a re-amortization of their existing facilities, and had nailed down all the details but the fee that the bank would charge for these accomodations.

My strategy on this was to handle the fee conversation the way I would want to be approached under the same circumstances. So try this folks, I think it is the most fair way to come to a fee for services that we all can live with. I asked the client to go back to the office once we finished lunch, think about the accomodation we were agreeing to make as a bank, and assign a value to that as a fee. Now the hook here is to ask the client to assign a fee that they feel is fair for the accomodation being made, but also a fee that they can comfortably live with, and won't eventually resent me for. You see I never subscribed to the "fee them and flee" approach to banking, call me old fashioned but I want to have a nice long life with these folks as their partner, and trying to get a "higher" fee because I can doesn't sit well with me.

So guess what ended up happening on the fee? My client came up with an appropriate number, based on sound reasoning, that we both could go to bed tonight feeling ok about (after all it's still a fee). And you want to know the secret here, I was fully committed to agreeing to whatever they came back to me with. I'm confident that allowing them to be a real part of the conversation will garner more trust in our relationship going forward, which after all else is said and done is the most important thing.

When Kids Attack

Time for a Dad post. Let me start this by explaining that my daughter is 5 years old, a sweet, tiny little girl that loves to sing and play with her big brother, a second grader. She and I went to school today to pick him up when the following scene took place:

We enter the classroom and I notice my boy and a much larger kid wrestling, and it was apparent my boy was giving all he had to keep the kid at bay. I saw a flash shoot past me and before I know it my girl is on the kid and does something, not sure what, but something that sent the kid reeling and howling away. Conundrum. You see the rule in our house is take care of each other, if one of us is in perceived danger the unwritten rule is help first (that could mean many things, get a parent, teacher or all out full frontal assault). She chose the latter.

So I of course am billowing with fatherly pride at the sight of such unbridled sisterly love but also realize that I should at least feign some sort of discipline. I chose to have her apologize to the kid for being a bit too aggressive and all was well, no hard feelings. My son turned to the kid on the way out and said "sorry about my sister, she thought you were hurting me so she attacked black widow style (yes, that is an Avengers reference)". Sweet as a pea but with the dark undertones of a young man that knows he's a part of a viscious tag team combination.

We get in the car and I patiently explain to my daughter that boys tend to rumble like that, its normal, and no real malice was intended. I then explained that she would never be in trouble with me if her intentions were in the interest of helping her brother (this isn't the first time by the way, there have been other instances where she has perfected her head locking technique, all in the defense of her big brother, and of course he's always ready to step in for his little sister).

I end this post with slightly mixed emotions, but satisfied that my little ones really are listening to my questionable advice and I hope that this instinctive desire to protect each other will last long after I'm gone.

Internal Auditors Are Your Friends

Dum, Dum, Dum....yup, its that time again bankers. The list has been sent out and your internal auditors are about to dig into a random list of your credits. This is a time when many get very uncomfortable and insecure about their files. So let me blow your mind. Don't even open the e-mail. Yup, I said it. Don't open the e-mail, don't even try to know what they will be reviewing, have confidence in your credit management skills.

After all, the auditors job is to scrub our files and see what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong. This is a tough position to take, after all we would all like to pass these exams with flying colors and show the world how good we are at our file management. But do we really benefit when we are rushing to make sure we're caught up on file memos? Scrubbing financials to make sure we're up to date? I say no. We are not better off. I don't know about you but I don't learn unless I screw something up first.

For example, my audit is over and I did well. The items that were noted were easily remedied and in most cases there were no issues at all. What did I learn? I need to immediately get electronic submissions of financials into our system. Most of what was missing was sitting in my CMA files (Cover My &^%) Side note, set these up in your Outlook per customer and park all your correspondence here, do this for your co-workers and bosses also, it is always nice to be able to track back approvals, or correspondence when the parties involved don't recall what they said, it feels good and keeps everyone on their toes.

My new policy thanks to this audit is to immediately submit financials that are delivered electronically when they come in and before they land in the CMA files. So this was a worthy audit and I benefited from it.

So the next time you get the notice that your internal auditors are coming for a review, don't freak out, in fact don't do anything, let them scrub your files, take their feedback and make improvements where needed going forward. After all, how else can we really improve on what we do if we aren't genuinely tested every once in a while.

$30,000

Not a big loan but a community loan and that is what I do. I'm hoping to close this tomorrow. The story goes that two nice ladies came to my office, on the advice of their landlord after swinging and missing at a few other banks. You see 1. this isn't exactly the sweet spot loan amount for most banks, and 2. it was a start up, sort of. I say sort of because between the two of them there was more business experience than most folks have, they had reasonable projected cash flow, a supportive landlord, and a nice basket full of collateral.

So why two no's before they hit me? Guess it wasn't a sexy enough sized loan to warrant an extra few minutes to determine that they had the know how, reasonable projections and plenty of collateral. Throw in their landlord that is known to be helpful to start ups and I'm a bit lost as to why this made it all the way to me. I will say I'm glad they did get to me because it is certainly a feel good loan and I look forward to watching them prosper in our little downtown.

So PLEASE, read my older posts, and take the time to really listen to your clients. Here is my parting shot example: someone I used to work with said a hard "NO" to what eventually turned into Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and guess what? The founder of GMCR to this day reminds him of it (and won't do ANY business with him). Ouch. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we think we know that we forget that every business is different, and every person deserves a fair shake. Take the time to listen, advise, work through issues, and leave folks that you come across in a better place than you found them. Sometimes you get to say yes, but if you do say no make it a "soft" one or you could be closing doors for many years to come.

Saying Goodbye

I got the news via a text message, one of my clients, and a friend had passed away from a sudden heart attack. It was jarring, I had only a few days before spoken to him no less than 3 times about the next deal he wanted to do. There is no need for names here, but suffice to say this was the sort of person that could instantly bring a smile to the face of a friend or a stranger.

He worked on the banking scene for decades in Vermont, for a few different banks and recently was doing some work with a local lending group. He was very active in the commercial real estate market up in Chittenden County, and I always marveled at how he had an "in" on just about any piece of property before it hit the market. Again, he was a people person, and folks were just comfortable enough to always give him an inside scoop.

He was a Dad, leaving a college age son and daughter. The deal we had on the books was helping a program expand that his daughter used. This was a feel good deal, and as always I was happy to help a Dad help his daughter. Recently he had a health scare, so lost a ton of weight, adjusted his diet and stopped, or curbed some old habits. He looked great, sounded great and I can't say enough just how shocking his loss is.

As is often the case when you lose someone too soon, you tend to reflect on your life's priorities. With this loss fresh in my mind I opted today to stay home after I picked up my son from school, engage in a raucous snowball fight with both kids, work on some home work with them, make our own pizza for dinner and finish the night with a new movie. Why do this when I had a few more things to do at the office? Because you never know when the afternoon you are embarking upon could be your last, and some extra time with my family, especially after such a sad loss, seemed far more important than the few things waiting for me at work.

Pitch Kitchen at Local 64

Periodically I get to sit in as a "judge" for a pitch competition at our local co-working hub called Local 64. Lars at Local 64 has been hosting this event for some time now and does a great job! The idea is for entrepreneurs with new ideas to make their "pitch" over 3 minutes to the group of judges, and attendees in the room, and then get feedback on how their pitch can be refined. I've done three of these now and have enjoyed each experience.

The presenters last night covered a myriad of areas, from stem cell research, to educational apps, a crowd funding idea for energy improvement projects, to new root radar technology for trees. Each was in a different stage of development, one had an existing revenue stream already. This is all done in a very relaxed environment, with beer and wine aplenty!

My co-judges and I awarded the best pitch to the stem cell presentation, however all were great and I am hopeful that our feedback was useful to them in refining their pitches. We always encourage presenters to come back to Pitch Kitchen once they have had a chance to incorporate our suggestions, and we've seen that happen a few times now.

I know there are other "pitch" oppurtunities at other hubs throughout the state so keep your eyes open. If you get asked to sit in as a judge, jump on it, you will be surprised by how much value we as bankers can add! This is just another avenue to explore where you can add value to your local economy and have a little fun along the way!

Here are a few links to some recent "pitch" options throughout the state. These have all come and gone but check out the link, read up on what was done at these events, and then follow these events going forward so you are ready for the next one!

http://pitchkitchen.eventbrite.com/

http://peakpitchvermont.eventbrite.com/

http://vtdigger.org/2013/02/07/chamber-announces-new-business-pitch-competition/

Everything to Everyone,,,or not.

Everyone is good at something? What are you good at? Long ago I realized I was not in love with administrative duties, but was up until recently saddled with them. The new gig I have now has allowed me to finally surround myself with people that understand, and enjoy the necessity of the administrative duties. I have two assistants that support me that are the yin to my yang. It is no secret that I like to go 110 miles per hour. But to sustain that level I need to have people around me to pick up the inevitable pieces that will break off along the way.

And guess what? Things have never been better! I like to sell, I like to visit with my clients, I like to be available 24/7 to my clients. Service, Service, Service! Again to do this something has to give. The secret is to be honest with yourself and take some time to list what you are and aren't good at, and then back fill your weaknesses with folks that are good at them. My team had a record year last year and there is nothing holding us back this year from repeating that performance. Nothing that is except losing those people that work with us that pick up our slack. So remember to say thank you, and say it often!

So are you a super sales person but not so big on the details? Then hire someone to support you that gets the details and revels in them. How about you are the furthest thing from a salesperson? Then hire folks that are and do all you can to support their strengths. Are you a people person? Are you analytical? Then recognize these are the things you excel at and then find folks that compliment your strengths by being good at your weaknesses. It is the true definition of a good team, with everyone holding together their piece of the whole pie.

One of my favorite stories (that I'm sure I have only part right) is about Henry Ford. He was testifying for something and the folks grilling him were having a good time trying to make him look dumb. Cheapen his successes somehow (by the way, the world is full of these people, ignore them). After this drilling Mr. Ford finally said, (again, I loosely quote here) "folks, I can promise you that I don't know the answer to that, but I can also promise you that I can find the answer in five minutes from one of my workers. Point? He recognized that he needed people around him that were smarter than he was, for that is the true sign of a real manager, one that recognizes what they can and can't do, then hires folks to fill those voids.

So take some time to list out what your strong points are, heck even ask some of your co-workers and clients what they think. Focus on these strengths, and then find some people to surround yourself with that can fill your weaknesses. Not only will you be happier not trying to be everything for everyone, but you will have a lot more fun at your job.

Lending Roundtable....

Let's face it, these days everyone wants to have a meeting. When in doubt, call a meeting. And we can very easily get burnout from running from meeting to meeting. But there are exceptions where you need to take the time to attend, and recently I took the time to be a part of one of those meetings.

Yesterday I sat on a great panel full of lenders down in White River Junction for a Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation Financing Solutions Roundtable. That panel included Sandy from VEDA, Josh from Community Capital, Sam from VCLF, Kevin from the SBA and David from USDA. There were also other bankers in the room, a rep from the VTSBDC and a rep from the VT Women's Business Center. Attendees included several local business owners and they had some great questions for the group.

First off I suggest if you haven't had the chance to attend a meeting like this, with a mixed group of financers talking about how their programs work and interconnect, do it! I say this to all you existing and aspiring business owners, as well as all you bankers in the room. I know I learned quite a bit from each of these agencies, and I consider myself well versed in who they are and what they do.

As a banker its nice to stay up to date on what each of these agencies have to offer, and its also great to hear what their recent experiences have been within the marketplace. The opportunity to give real life examples of how these agencies can and do work together is invaluable. There are a great deal of misperceptions on how these entities work, and this roundtable helped to eliminate those misunderstandings, again for the business owner and the other partners.

I know there are more of these roundtables being scheduled, I believe the next will be in the Rutland area. Keep your eyes and ears open for when the next one is coming to your area and make an effort to get to it. I guarantee you will learn something new and useful, connect or reconnect with other partners, and will have a great opportunity to have direct access to these great partners all in one place.

Here is a direct link to the SBA Vermont field office's schedule of events. Check in with it periodically to see what is being offered in your area! http://www.sba.gov/events

Small Business Administration

I get to talk tomorrow at a business financing roundtable so I thought I'd practice a bit here on the topic I'm covering. Why use the SBA? When should you use the SBA? The reasons are simple enough, if you have a recognized weakness in a deal you otherwise would love to do, slap on a guaranty.

Those reasons can include "green" management, shortfall on collateral (or maybe you need to lend more on collateral than your policy allows), or maybe this is a new business with no history of repayment but really believable projections. All of these can be a good justification for a guaranty. I believe the technical stand point is "I would not make this loan if not for a guaranty".

As mentioned previously in a post, the SBA has a much better website now, I've linked to the specific page that deals with what paperwork is needed to facilitate a guaranty request. http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants/small-business-loans/how-prepare-your-loan-application

The myriad of enhancements available are varied, there are programs that are dependent on the size of the loan, the make up of those applying, type of collateral. Again, I defer to the website for a better breakdown of what these products are and how they are best used. This chart best breaks down the who, what and how of the programs. http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Loan%20Chart%20Baltimore%20June%202012%20Version%202.pdf

Strap in, there is a bunch of paperwork and there is a cost to get the guaranty initially and annually, however they are an essential weapon to have in your lending arsenol, the better you know how they work, the better lender you will be.

I should note there are other options to enhance your deals, and other agencies/entities that are out there to help, VEDA, VCLF, VSJF, but we'll tackle those individually in future posts. At some point I'll give some insights on a deal I did that combined had 8 (yes 8) separate parties involved. Stay tuned....

Time to think......

The race begins. Pack up two kids for school drop off for 8:45. Prior to that scrub e-mail to make sure the world isn't imploding. Your boy is psyched to be at school, your girl, not so much, in fact she has not stopped telling you how much she doesn't want to go to school all morning and the whole ride. So drop off comes and goes, time to race to a meeting 45 minutes South. Try and return a few calls along the way, maybe bounce out a few texts (not while driving). Meet prospect, tour facility. Boom, back in the car for early afternoon pick up. Same routine, e-mails, phone calls, texts, they are piling up and piling up and all at once it seems you are the only person on this earth anyone wants to talk to. Deep breath.

So how do you find time to think on a day like that? My daughter actually found the solution for me. I picked her up from school early afternoon and was driving her home when she asked the usual "are you staying home".  "Sorry babygirl, I am buried and need to get to the office (hadn't been there yet)." "What do you have to do there that you can't do at home?". Now that was a great question and after a moment of trying to think of a logical way to explain to her that I NEEDED to be there, I realized I had no real reason to have to be there (except in my head thinking "at my desk is working", old bosses lousy influences die hard sometimes). So I opted to stay home with her for a bit, actually make and eat lunch not in my car, and catch up on e-mails, phone calls and texts. She played on the floor near me while I went about the business of catching up. Guess what? I felt great, got a pile of items caught up, quarterbacked some items to others and satisfied her (and my) need for a little daddy time.

When I finally landed at my office I was once again in control of my day, instead of simply reacting to others needs. All thanks to a simple comment from my little girl to take a break and catch up (with her as my wingwoman).

How do you find the elusive time to think, or catch up? One other outlet I like to try and use is time at the gym. I bring my phone and work out e-mails while I work out. Sounds crazy but it works and I feel great after. Others take a walk, schedule a non work related lunch with a friend, doesn't matter what it is that you do, but you need to do something to step out of work for a while and take a breath. Break the rhythm. If not that overwhelming feeling will forever control and consume your time and eventually the fun that could be working will be gone.

The Walk of Shame?

September 2009. "Hey Justin, can I see you in the boardroom?" asks one of my bosses (yes, one of them, good times). I, as the happy soldier, jumped up with a new deal in my hand and headed to the boardroom to discuss it. What's this? The bossman was in there, and also my old friend from HR. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together on what was about to go down, but I was completely shocked. In fact my recalled quote was "are you &^*%#$% kidding me, I have a deal to get done". Classy as usual, I've never had a good filter.

Let's step back for a synopsis of my time at this place. Going on 10 years, climbed the ladder the old fashioned way (operations, to loan assistant, to analyst to lender), I had put my time in for sure. There was no trouble, no performance issues, not a real "firing". Trouble was I was still the FNG (ask your military friends if you don't know what this means), and when the spreadsheet popped out yours truly was on the block, low man on the pole. OK, two options here, wallow in self doubt (fat chance) or take this opportunity and find a more suitable home. I chose the latter.

After I boxed up my little work life (surprisingly into only two boxes), and two of my bosses escorted me out of the building I got to work. We took the side elevator at their urging, guess they didn't like the role in which they were being cast, I didn't envy either of them or my friend from HR.

So I don't call my wife first (I sent her a text later in the day, NOTE, don't send your wife a text telling her you just got canned, that will haunt you for awhile), I start calling my contacts, clients and other bankers I've gotten to know. Literally before I'm in the next town I'm scheduling a sit down for the following week. Lesson here? When life gives you lemons make some hard lemonade, invite some friends, throw on some burgers and dogs, crank up the music and channel a bad thing into something positive.

I spent the next two weeks set up in my temporary office at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, running on the bike path, and re-connecting with clients, co-workers, and other folks that might be interested in my particular style of banking. I also spent some fun time with my kids! At the end of that period I had three offers, all pretty good, all with people I knew and respected, but one stood out. After screening the three with my clients (or soon to be clients again) I had made a choice. It was the smallest of the bunch that stood out so I went with it, having spent 10 years in the ever increasing land of bigger and bigger banks. Smaller also appealed because I grew up in a small bank environment (my Uncle ran a small VT bank called at the time Franklin Lamoille Bank).

What a great decision! Every year has been better than the last! Needless to say that sort of experience really lights a fire that has yet to go out. I have more flexibility than ever before, and as a result have been doing pretty well thank you. I do want to note that the place that carried my boxes is still dear to my heart, they trained me, nurtured me, and even now I have a super relationship with most if not all the folks over there (or their subsequent places). That has worked out really well for all of us and I feel these relationships will continue to work out well going forward. So this is definitely not a bash on my original home.

So what exactly is this then? Well its a story about a situation that very easily could have gotten me down, and rightfully so, but didn't. The approach was to take an opportunity that was presented and see it as such. The longer story is this is a very small state, and small industry. Take the time to make good connections in your bank, but also out at the other banks, these are the folks that will be with, or competing against you your entire career. Let them get to know who you are, how you work, and get to know them, so that maybe one day, if the bosses come knocking at your door, you will have a nice list of folks waiting to take you in.

Are you too connected?

You are just finishing dinner and your phone buzzes, its a text from one of your clients with a question. Are you annoyed? You shouldn't be, the reality is business owners never stop working so we shouldn't stop being available simply because the traditional work day is over. In fact some of the best interreaction I have with my clients is after hours. After all what could feel better as a customer than freaking out about something and being able to get some reassurance from your banker immediately? Even if we can't fix it that night, they will sleep better knowing its the top of our agenda the next morning.

Let's face it, we don't want to be so plugged in that we're buried in our phones and miss our kid's home run, or are in anyway disconnecting from our families, that would be selfish, and bad parenting. However, taking a few moments in your evening to check your e-mail and text messages to ensure there are no fires isn't as bad as it sounds.

In fact, this translates to vacation time as well. Yes you have your out of office on but you still get e-mails and texts, especially from those clients that have that all exclusive direct access to you. Some of the best advice I received on vacations and work came from a lawyer I use quite a bit. He said his rule was to set aside 20-30 minutes each evening on vacation to go for a walk, pull out his phone and "quarterback" the hot items, respond to the necessary ones, and put off the ones that can live until your vacation is over. Note that he isn't saying to be connected at Magic Kingdom, just to set a few minutes aside each day to make sure the wheels on the bus are still going round and round.

I do this now, it works great. And those that work with me know that if there is something critical they will likely hear from me that evening or the next. There is a very fine line here, I'm not saying sleep with your phone, but I'm also not saying to ignore it. As I said, business owners have issues 24/7, if we want to do the job right we'll recognize that and try our best to be there to ease their concerns if and when they occur after hours.

Visiting is your best marketing...

When was the last time you set aside a day or two to go out and see your best clients? I'm not talking about going to see them to go over financials, stopping to meet about a new loan opportunity, I'm just talking about popping over and saying hello. See how things are going. Better yet don't talk business at all, just shoot the breeze. In our day to day lives we're so pressed for time we forget that ultimately people bank with people, and they need to know and see and have access to those people.

Become more than their banker, become their partner. Bring something thoughtful along, favorite beer, box of company golf balls, something fun. Plan to be there for a while but also expect to maybe only have a few minutes to say hello, catch up and move on your way. Folks want access, and by making sure to pop out unexpected periodically (outside of the usual visits for straight bank talk) they will get a higher comfort level with you, again your goal is to be a part of their team, more than just a banker.

That point was hammered home for me today. Sort of. I got a call from a client I enjoy, like to toss a beer back with, great story teller and super business person. He was looking to catch up and maybe had a few ideas to toss around. I said I'd be in his office in 5 minutes, dropped everything I was working on and shot over. The reward? I had a great conversation, we did some strategic planning and walked away with a sweet deal and a sick referral. He taught me today, and my job was to listen. Of the hour visit we shot the breeze for 45 and got to business for about 15 of it. That is fun and fulfilling to me, let's be people first, have a laugh, catch up and then get down to the task at hand.

Did I mention be accessible? As I write this one of my top clients texted me (its 8:37 pm) with a new, hot prospect, we're texting now about him getting me in front of them. Sweet, I love this job and I love my customers! This is one of my favorite pop in customers, he has a great business, well connected, fun to be around, great golfer, super family.....you get the point, good dude.

So make the effort to sit down and make a list of your top clients and partners (lawyers, accountants brokers), then make a plan to get out to them over the next two weeks. No agenda, just purely a social visit. Grab a beer, grab lunch, hit the golf course. Whatever suits you. I can guarantee that by doing this as much as once a month, but definitely once a quarter not only will you gain trust, but you may also flesh out issues ahead of time, dig out a new deal in the works, or pick up a referral for some exciting new business along the way.

The challenge is to break out of your routine and get out there, you will find you are much happier in your job, and you will enhance your relationships with your clients. I like to say if I'm at my desk I'm not working. By being the last banker they saw, you will be the first banker they think of when the next great thing comes along.

Who needs a Business Plan??

In short you do and your banker really does! Often I have meetings with folks and when I ask if they have a business plan, they smile and point to their head "its right up here". NOOOOOO! Not the right answer. Think of a written business plan as a formalization of your plan, now and going forward. The who, what, when, where and why of what you do. This plan should include cash projections, a must in every start up, and a road map going forward you can refer back to periodically.

Think of your business plan as something fluid, almost a living thing. As such you need to be sure to nurture the plan, visit it often, and do a spot check on where you are now versus where you thought you would be. If you aren't there why not? Revise, revise, revise. Businesses evolve, they change, a product you didn't think would be a hit is a BIG hit and so you need to plan for its growth.

There are some great free resources available to help you put your plan on paper. These include the Vermont Small Business Development Center, our guy here in CVT is Charlie Ininger and he's a rockstar. Take the time to sit with him, he'll shepherd you through a pre-formatted plan they use at the VTSBDC. Here is a link that will take you to their site so you can reach out, use it, it makes you more bankable when you show up with a plan already on paper. http://www.vtsbdc.org/location/contact 

The SBA has made great strides in recent years to make their website more user friendly. The following links are super helpful when you are planning on visiting a bank. http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business/thinking-about-starting 

Finally, let's talk your cover letter. This is your chance to get your banker's attention. Use it. We want to know what you need, why you need it, how you are going to pay it and what you plan to use as collateral to secure the request. This is your opportunity to make a quick pitch, and this is where you can make or break your meeting. Be succinct, and answer our questions in this cover letter. You will thank me later!

Don't just say no...

My God its easy to simply say NO when someone comes to your bank. After all if we try hard enough we can find a good reason to not do anything. But before you say your next NO think about a few things first.

I can't tell you how many times someone comes to me with a business, either new or existing, lays out their plans with enthusiasm and sits back cringing waiting for what they assume is the inevitable "NO". What I try to do is give a "soft" NO, not a hard one. What does that mean? One of my mentors, Steve Gurin, was and is notorious for going the extra mile, a strategy I try to emulate. He would take what right now is an un-bankable deal and offer advice on how it could some day be bankable. That is just who he is, he likes to help.

 

How unique is that? Turns out it is super unique. More often than not when I take the time to really hear a person's story, and then offer advice on where they can go next (Vermont Community Loan Fund, Vermont Small Business Development Center maybe to help tweek their plan) they are shocked. You see these folks often are coming from other institutions that simply looked at what they had (or sadly just looked at them), decided it didn't fit and sent them on their way (don't let the door hit ya...). Funny thing is these folks remember that, and someday if and when they achieve a "bankable" status you can be darn sure they will remember then.

 

They will also remember the banker that took the time to really listen, offer advice and do a bit of coaching to help them refine their plan. This is self serving to a point, especially if they go out and work hard to develop a business that qualifies for bank financing, but you will find it greatly satisfying at the end of the day if you can offer something useful to the many folks you come in contact with each day.

 

So the next time someone comes to you, try and take a little extra time with them and do a bit of coaching, after all we as the banker know best what it takes to get approved, and we also have the network in place to offer sound advice and connect them with the many financing partners and agencies in our communities that may serve them best at this point in their development.  Heck, you may even find one of your clients would be a good quasi-mentor fit for them to talk to. The point is take the time to listen and try for the "soft" NO, instead of the quick and easy "hard" one.

Bosses, the good the bad and the ugly.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to work for all sorts of folks. We have all worked for the nightmare boss. The 7:30 - 5:30 boss that came from an industrial generation that felt as long as you were at your desk you were working (didn't matter what you were doing as long as he/she could see you doing something). We have also had those bosses that harnessed our creativity, focused on our strong points and helped us along our career paths.

You can learn from both of these types on what to do and not do if and when you assume the position of "the boss". DO give your employees the wings so they can fly, one of my favorite bosses liked to say that he would "give me just enough leash to hang myself on".

My rules for managing me are simple: 1. Leave me alone so I can do my job (very Generation X I know), and 2. always have my back. That is it, simple really and I think most employees are looking to have that level of freedom to operate, knowing they have their boss's support and that they will stand up for you if need be.

Now the bad. I called him Captain &*(^$&head. He deserved the name trust me. If there was a forest in front of him, he would notice the one tree that had something wrong with it. It wasn't his fault, we had a generational difference that we could never overcome.  Favorite comment of all time? I was looking to workout a different schedule to accomodate the needs of my newborn son (two working parents doing the usual juggling). And here is the comment that left me seething "your wife should be home with the kids, that is how it was when my kids were young". WOW! Thanks Captain (starting to get the nickname now?), super helpful and full of empathy!

I still took away some useful things from this horrible boss. First, trust your employees, your job isn't to nit pick them or manage their schedule, at the end of the day your focus should be on their strengths and quite frankly if the reports are there (i.e. they are hitting or exceeding their numbers), then sit back and steer them. Don't try to make them like you, they never will be.

More bad. My first boss laughed when I told her I wanted to be a commercial lender, and that I would do it in five years. I was in loan operations, fresh out of college, full of piss and vinegar, but she insisted that I would never get to lending from operations. So I took that as some insane motivation and 4.5 years later was happy to call her when I had achieved my goal. What did I take from her? Don't kill a dream, find a way to help that person achieve it.

A few bosses were the best of the best. Those that took you under their wing, recognized your potential, and worked toward helping you get where you want to be. These are the bosses you want to emulate. These are the bosses that take the extra time to explain things to you, listen to you, and spend real time with you getting to know who you are. I have been lucky to have had a career path sprinkled with these folks at the seemingly right time, and I'm thankful for each and every one of them.

If and when you get the chance, become the boss you would want to work for. Good luck.