 Brian Failing is a museum professional with a passion for sharing local history. He is currently the Executive Director of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum located in Aurora, IL. By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A. American Historian Carl Becker once said, “Every man is his [or her] own historian.” These powerful words allude to the notion that we all have the capacity and ability to make history no matter where we are or how long we are there. CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE recently interviewed Brian Failing, Executive Director of The Aurora Regional Fire Museum, to unpack the greater meaning behind the importance of understanding local history. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to build a legacy if we knew what type of legacy was built previously or the lack thereof? "History is very relevant no matter what walk of life you come from ..."
My mindset is starting to shift. I am bringing more consciousness. I am taking greater risks and I am applying what I have learned through my leadership programs. When I look back, I want to be the manager that people remember.” Special Behind-the-Scenes Interview: Live Life in the Fast Lane to Become Your True, Authentic Self8/22/2016
She chooses not to let labels define or limit her existence, especially when it comes to business. It is our pleasure to give you an up close and personal view into what it means to #taketherisk. Here's what you can expect while reading this ... Daniel Alex is the Managing Director & CEO of Health eFormatics, an Illinois-based healthcare IT solutions company.
Yet, I am left still thinking as great as these recommendations are (as they certainly are better than nothing), what if we evaluated stereotypes when they are first born - when they are first introduced into systems - addressing negative thought processes and personally held attitudes and beliefs about differences directly? Interestingly, CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE interviewed Alberta Johnson, an expert on diversity inclusion before the most recent line of devastating events occurred. Her own story was caught within the lens of a deeply framed childhood experience, that forever shook the core of who she is. On this premise, Alberta embarked on a career to make a difference: diversity inclusion. What Alberta has shared is not only relevant for today but critical for us to hear as we awaken to the realization that we are each responsible for the way we see and treat one another. It is a heart and cognitive issue we must look at to counter the rhetoric of hate if we want don’t want to be set back a century as a nation. Alberta Johnson has three beautiful cultures to cherish. Her mother is Mexican and Irish. Her father is African American and Irish. “It tells the history of my family. My grandmother came here in the 1920s from Mexico, worked in the steel mills and met my grandfather, who was an Irish immigrant from Ireland. I always identified being Hispanic because I grew up in a Mexican culture.”  My grandmother came here in the 1920s from Mexico, worked in the steel mills and met my grandfather, who was an Irish immigrant from Ireland. I always identified being Hispanic because Top 5 Reasons to Attend Chicago's First Women's Success Summit: CONNECT. CREATE. COLLABORATE.7/12/2016
By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A. Chicago--It's home to over 123,625 female entrepreneurs and listed as the nations' Top 5 Largest U.S. Cities of female business owners on the rise. It is then no surprise that with such a large increase of women entrepreneurs, comes the desire to work together and to maximize on this momentum. Women in every industry and across every sector are realizing the power of the collective "We." And The Women's Success Summit is the first full-day event to revolutionize the way women entrepreneurs grow and sustain their business by learning from each other. The Women's Success Summit brings together women entrepreneurs who foster a culture of collaboration, connection and creativity. The summit aims to radically change the way women business owners work together, improving the cohesiveness of Chicago's entrepreneurial community as a whole.  A Powerful One-of-a-Kind Opportunity to ...
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| By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A. With the school year looming closely around the corner, classes all across the U.S. will be in session sooner than we know. Naturally, the back-to-school season can trigger a mix of feelings for children, parents and adults alike. School Year Rings in a Second New Year Nostalgic childhood memories surrounding the excitement of a new academic year to nervousness for parents as they watch their children advance into a new grade, traditionally the end of August signals a monumental notion of a “New Year,” no doubt. It can also signal a psychological cue or reminder of a educational goal left unfulfilled—the journey to embark upon an advanced degree or complete an unfinished degree from long ago. |
CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE recently interviewed 30-year higher education expert, Eddie Pawlawski, Director of Engagement and Outreach with the College Board, to break-down a few myths and give advice for college bound high schoolers and adult learners returning to the classroom.
College Bound Senior vs. Adult Learner— Understanding It Isn’t The Same
It’s a whole different process when looking at the adult learner and what they bring verses the traditional high school student entering college. Eddie continues “Many times, the assumption for high school students is that they come into the college setting not necessarily knowing what they want to do, what they love to do or what their niche is.”
College Bound Senior vs. Adult Learner— Understanding It Isn’t The Same
It’s a whole different process when looking at the adult learner and what they bring verses the traditional high school student entering college. Eddie continues “Many times, the assumption for high school students is that they come into the college setting not necessarily knowing what they want to do, what they love to do or what their niche is.”
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Exploratory, Good for the 18-22 Person
According to The New York Times, “Exploratory” is the new undeclared as institutions are moving away from the negative-sounding “undecided” label to encourage students to experiment. It is commonly expected that first-year students may change their major more than once, as they are “ joining the flow, growing, changing, and building who they are as an 18-22 person,” adds Eddie. Take Penn State, for example … 80 percent of freshmen — even those who have declared a major — say they are uncertain about their major, and half will change their minds after they declare, sometimes more than once. |
It is commonly expected that first-year students may change their major more than once, as they are joining the flow, growing, changing, and building who they are as an 18-22 person." |
Adult Learner: Same Goal, Different Package
Adult learners have a very different set of expectations. They are looking for very specific training that might be related to their years in the workforce or in industry. Eddie describes, “The questions they are asking are somewhat different in that they may be heavily weighted toward a particular profession, and they typically bring an array of credentials that include previous training and previous college credit. The package they present may be vastly different than the traditional admissions package of grades, test scores, and recommendations.
‘What can you [X College] do for me? How quickly? And can I afford it?’ They may even be an advanced learner who has worked over 20 years. And that’s not the only thing they are seeking.“ Adult learners crave the opportunity to complete things quickly and have contact, collaboration and conversation with faculty to receive assistance as quickly as they can.”
Adult learners have a very different set of expectations. They are looking for very specific training that might be related to their years in the workforce or in industry. Eddie describes, “The questions they are asking are somewhat different in that they may be heavily weighted toward a particular profession, and they typically bring an array of credentials that include previous training and previous college credit. The package they present may be vastly different than the traditional admissions package of grades, test scores, and recommendations.
‘What can you [X College] do for me? How quickly? And can I afford it?’ They may even be an advanced learner who has worked over 20 years. And that’s not the only thing they are seeking.“ Adult learners crave the opportunity to complete things quickly and have contact, collaboration and conversation with faculty to receive assistance as quickly as they can.”
Jumping in the Deep End Based on Timing, Personal Grit and Gut Instinct ...
John O’Malley is the Corporate Security Director for a private investment banking firm. His work focuses on work place safety compliance, global travel security, emergency response planning, executive protection and overall physical security risk management.
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... To have to come to a place in your career after serving 25 years as a federal agent and no one knows what you’ve done except for whatever is described on paper, is a little bit difficult. But I knew how to prepare myself.”
By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A.
John O’Malley is a trusted authority on the subject of national security. A 25 year veteran with the United States Marshals Service, O’Malley retired as a regional Chief Inspector in the Witness Security Division, working his way up as a rookie. Over his career, he has gained a reputation as a law enforcement analyst and has regularly been featured on WGN-TV and WLS news. |
“When I first started thinking about my transition, someone told me that my resume was really scary. Me, scary? It’s what we [U.S. Marshals Service] do. It’s supposed to be impressive. I thought I had sanitized it. To have to come to a place in your career after serving 25 years as a federal agent and no one knows what you’ve done except for whatever is described on paper, is a little bit difficult. But I knew how to prepare myself.”
Today, he chuckles under his breath, “It reminds me of advice I later gave to another retiring federal agent, “Avoid the GGD syndrome - Guns, Gangs and Drugs. Instead of highlighting your work in the gang world or handling violent crimes, scale it. What is it that you organized? How does what you did relate to what you will do in your next field?”
O’Malley’s impressive accolades range from overseeing the operations of a seven state region,100 employees, and participating in over 1,000 complex fugitive investigations through collaborations with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; including the investigations of many U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 fugitive investigations.
Back then, O’Malley realized that not only would he have to “sanitize his resume,” but he would also need to apply the same type of tactic previously used on the street: a strategic exit plan. He embarked on a detailed 18-month assessment to answer his own wonderings. "What skill sets do I possess and what do I need to do be transferable in the private sector?"
Today, he chuckles under his breath, “It reminds me of advice I later gave to another retiring federal agent, “Avoid the GGD syndrome - Guns, Gangs and Drugs. Instead of highlighting your work in the gang world or handling violent crimes, scale it. What is it that you organized? How does what you did relate to what you will do in your next field?”
O’Malley’s impressive accolades range from overseeing the operations of a seven state region,100 employees, and participating in over 1,000 complex fugitive investigations through collaborations with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; including the investigations of many U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 fugitive investigations.
Back then, O’Malley realized that not only would he have to “sanitize his resume,” but he would also need to apply the same type of tactic previously used on the street: a strategic exit plan. He embarked on a detailed 18-month assessment to answer his own wonderings. "What skill sets do I possess and what do I need to do be transferable in the private sector?"
Make corporate America realize the skills you developed in law enforcement are transferable to the private sector and don’t minimize all that you did. They don’t always understand the scope and breadth of what you did and accomplished.”
More candidates are vetting out potential employers who do not reach beyond profits to make a difference in the world.”
Global entrepreneur Bert Brown, Founder & CEO of MBA Capital Group is on a mission to raise social consciousness in 10,000 companies around the world.
By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A.
We live in a global economy that has evolved in the way consumers demand and influence the way it is supplied. Now more than ever, consumers have an increased interest to be involved in the process of knowing where their products are coming from and how they are being manufactured; inevitably, forcing companies to become more socially conscious and transparent in their practices.
Such is also the case for employees, team-members, vendors, and clients whose appetite to understand what their company represents has grown substantially over the last decade. Social enterprise awareness, Bert Brown, Founder & CEO of MBA Capital Group describes it as causing a stir in talent recruitment, as increasingly “more candidates are vetting out potential employers who do not reach beyond profits to make a difference in the world.”
And it’s on this premise that Bert is developing a global movement called Social Squared, dedicated to educate, share and implement socially-impactful practices in 10,000 companies around the world. “Companies realize that to their customers it [social enterprise] does mean something. If a company can align their mission, purpose, and passion with a meaningful social cause, a lot of good things can happen.”
We live in a global economy that has evolved in the way consumers demand and influence the way it is supplied. Now more than ever, consumers have an increased interest to be involved in the process of knowing where their products are coming from and how they are being manufactured; inevitably, forcing companies to become more socially conscious and transparent in their practices.
Such is also the case for employees, team-members, vendors, and clients whose appetite to understand what their company represents has grown substantially over the last decade. Social enterprise awareness, Bert Brown, Founder & CEO of MBA Capital Group describes it as causing a stir in talent recruitment, as increasingly “more candidates are vetting out potential employers who do not reach beyond profits to make a difference in the world.”
And it’s on this premise that Bert is developing a global movement called Social Squared, dedicated to educate, share and implement socially-impactful practices in 10,000 companies around the world. “Companies realize that to their customers it [social enterprise] does mean something. If a company can align their mission, purpose, and passion with a meaningful social cause, a lot of good things can happen.”
If a company can align their mission, purpose, and passion with a meaningful social cause, a lot of good things can happen."
While in its inception, Social Squared’s aim is not just in the US, but around the world. Having helped create companies from London, Budapest, and Singapore, Bert has empowered individuals from every walk of life to do what they love, in recognizing what he loves. “I’ve always enjoyed seeing the big picture: the big idea. I enjoy helping start-ups succeed and I enjoy seeing all the parts come together in the big picture.”
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