Follow the Leaders
VACEOs Fall Leaders Conference 2022
This is a new event you won’t want to miss! We encourage business owners/CEOs to bring their executive teams. VACEOs Members and Sponsors will get a discounted rate but register now to receive the best rates.
Join VACEOs on September 19, 2022, at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, to spend the day with Verne Harnish – scaleup expert, world renown speaker and bestselling author.
Verne’s Scaling Up presentation focuses on the Four Decisions methodology that every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution and Cash. Verne will be sharing fours specific ideas-one each for People, Strategy, Execution and Cash-that you can use immediately to drive a positive impact in the business. Look at the #1 most important question to ask in each of the four decisions-and practical examples of how various small to mid-market firms answered these questions, driving much better results.
In the end it’s about getting more money, saving more time, and having more fun in scaling up your business. Verne Harnish will help you get there. To register, click HERE.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Scot McRoberts to learn more.
Topics Verne will cover in Scaling Up include:
PEOPLE: Recruitment, on boarding, coaching & culture:
Designing the employee journey.
STRATEGY: Purpose, core customer, brand promise & identifying the company culture.
EXECUTION: Systems, processes & accountability through current technologies.
CASH: Cash flow, margins, key performance indicators & efficiencies.
To register now, click HERE.
Schedule for the day:
Monday, September 19
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Verne Harnish (People & Strategy)
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Verne Harnish (Execution & Cash)
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Cocktail Reception
Who is this for:
This program is open to all CEOs and their senior executive teams. Click HERE to register.
About the Speaker
Verne Harnish is founder of Entrepreneurs‘ Organization and Scaling Up, a global coaching and executive education firm. He has spent the past four decades helping companies scale. He‘s author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits; The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time; Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0) and Scaling Up Compensation.
Three VACEOs Member Companies Make Inc’s “All-Star” List
VACEOs Member Takes Top Spot on Inc’s Fastest Growing Companies List
Inc. magazine just revealed its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Mid-Atlantic-based private companies, based in D.C., DE, MD, NC, VA, and WV.
The companies on the list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Mid-Atlantic region – adding thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the Mid-Atlantic region’s economy.
Please join us in congratulating VACEOs member Glenn Dierson of Summit Human Capital whose company ranked number ONE on Inc’s list.
Founded in 2018, Summit Human Capital Summit Human Capital specializes in providing IT human capital solutions to a diverse portfolio of industries including: Information Technology, Healthcare, Government Services (Federal and SLED), Legal, Logistics and more.
Ranked at 89 was Lauren Sweeney of the Dotted Line Agency. The Dotted Line is a creative agency that helps ambitious brands become great. With a strategy-before-everything approach, they draw the line that connects marketing from beliefs to behaviors for brands that want to do more business to grow effectively and efficiently, with lasting impact.
Eddie O’Leary of COLAB made the list 131. COLAB is a team of strategists, designers, developers, engineers and project managers that create digital platforms to empower marketing leaders.
Are you curious to learn more? Would you like your company to be listed as an Inc. Magazine All-Star? While we can’t guarantee you will make the list, we can guarantee that by joining VACEOs you will have the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the greatest business leaders in Virginia. Don’t wait. Come check us out.
About Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs)
Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs) is a nonprofit organization connecting CEOs for learning and growth. Formed more than 20 years ago, member benefits include placement in a peer roundtable group and access to a thought leader network, and a robust program of events for learning and growth. This is not a networking group, but rather a group of CEO peers who are invested in the success of each member. To qualify for membership CEOs must run a business with $1M+ revenue and 5+FTEs. Learn more at www.vaceos.org.
Future-Proofing Your Career in 2022: Break The Bias
VACEOs partners with Robins MBA to #breakthebias
In recognition of International Women’s Day, over 100 women gathered at the University of Richmond on March 10 to hear a keynote address by Susan Quinn, President & Chief Executive Officer of circle S studio for the fourth annual Future-Proofing Your Career event. Her topic: Break the Bias which is also this year’s International Women’s Day theme.
Hosted jointly by the Virginia Council of CEOS (VACEOs) and The Richmond MBA, the festivities took place at the Jepson Alumni Center to a sold-out crowd of women from all different stages of their careers.
An executive with 30 plus years of experience, Susan believes that “leadership is a mindset from the inside out.” It needs to be cultivated and nurtured like a garden and “not left to chance.”
Speaking for 30 minutes to an attentive audience, she mapped out four keys to future-proofing one’s career. They include:
- Respect yourself and stop apologizing
- Keep an open mind and stay curious
- Be authentic – don’t try to be anyone but yourself
- Raise the bar – keep bettering your personal best
Following Susan’s keynote address, there was a panel discussion of business leaders, including Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs) member Connie Hom, CEO of Buckingham Greenery, Inc., Melody Short, co-founder of The Jackson Ward Collective and Polly White, Chair of the ChamberRVA and COO of Gather.
For Connie Hom, a first time panelist, but a four time Future-Proofing Your Career attendee, she shared that loved all of the energy in the room and was grateful for the opportunity to get together in person this year to “learn, improve and grow.”
Jennifer Boyden, CEO of Heart Havens, Inc., said “Being among and having conversations with other professional women is empowering. It is encouraging to see how far we have come and motivating to see how far we still need to go to work in a bias-free world.”
The words “inspirational” and “powerful” could be heard being murmured all around the cocktail reception held towards the end of the evening.
Susan Quinn best summed it up when she said there was “a lot of power packed into that room.” She also said, “when women come together to learn something new, they are often successful and there is no limit to what they can accomplish.”
About The Richmond MBA
The Richmond MBA is a highly-ranked part-time program designed to meet the needs of working professionals. With small class sizes and experienced, engaged faculty, the student body is comprised of high-potential individuals who form a network of ambitious and innovative leaders driving change across central Virginia’s top organizations. The program is part of the larger Robins School of Business, a fully-accredited business school in a liberal arts university, recognized nationally for quality and excellence.
About Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs)
Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs) is a nonprofit organization connecting CEOs for learning and growth. Formed more than 20 years ago, member benefits include placement in a peer roundtable group and access to a thought leader network, and a robust program of events for learning and growth. This is not a networking group, but rather a group of CEO peers who are invested in the success of each member. To qualify for membership CEOs must run a business with $1M+ revenue and 5+FTEs. Learn more at www.vaceos.org.
5 Questions Every CEO Should Ask their Banker
As business leaders, it is imperative to have an inner circle of advisors you trust. In addition to a CFO, you often seek advice from attorneys, CPAs, and insurance agents to name a few. Adding a local banker to your list who lives and works in your market is smart and strategic.
Of course, a banker will discuss your business finances and help you gain access to capital. A trusted banker also has vast knowledge of the market, is up to date on the latest business deals and happenings and can share a wide network of contacts to help your business grow. With a community bank, decisions are made locally and often, much quicker, than at larger national financial institutions.
I would encourage any business leader to ask these questions of their current or prospective banker.
1. Is now a good time to expand my business?
Your banker should walk through different scenarios with you. What is the current demand for your products or services? Are customers requesting a new product line? Do you have customer support to grow? Are you growing so fast that you can hardly manage current business? Do you see an unprecedented opportunity that is exciting and difficult to pass up? Is your overall industry growing and is the opportunity ripe?
2. What precautions should I put in place to help my business with the concern of inflation and a potential recession?
Your banker understands that the effect of inflation on small to medium-sized businesses may seem somewhat insignificant in the short term; however, it can quickly have an impact on your bottom line. Reduced purchasing power means that businesses will sell less and potentially lower profits. Lower profits mean a decreased ability to grow or invest in the business itself. Credit control can help offset inflation. Your banker may direct you to increase savings and reduce unnecessary expenditures.
3. Can you offer my business options outside of traditional banking?
A community banker should detail any new technology and additional services they offer. Such services can help you cut costs and be more efficient. There are multiple treasury management solutions that can efficiently help you manage your business budget, improve cash flow, protect against fraud, and reduce processing delays. Definitely inquire about remote and mobile deposit, ACH and wire management systems that will save you time and money.
4. Can you help me with supply chain issues?
Your local banker can tell you about certain lending tools it can recommend to offset this rising challenge. Supply chain financing can support the trade relationships of middle market companies as a way to help stabilize supply chains and improve working capital.
5. How can you support my growth plans?
A trusted banker should understand your business and industry. He or she can assist in reviewing financial forecasting and projections. Ask about cash flow analysis and tips to gain financial efficiencies. Moreover, your banker should be a good sounding board and offer advice.
I believe if you focus on building a positive relationship with an experienced community banker, your business will succeed and grow.
Too many leaders navigate the financial arena with little personalized support. Sadly, 20% of companies fail within the first two years, according to Forbes. While opening a new business can be exciting and is more popular than ever, getting sound banking advice at the start, or even years after launch, can propel your business forward and help you serve your customers far into the future. I believe if you focus on building a positive relationship with an experienced community banker, your business will succeed and grow.
About the Author & Blue Ridge Bank
Chris Layne, market president at Blue Ridge Bank is a professional who primarily works with closely-held and non-profit organizations in and throughout the Richmond Metro region. If you have any questions for Chris. please feel free to reach out to him at 804-518-2625 or chris.layne@mybrb.bank.
Blue Ridge Bank is a Virginia bank with a national reputation, Blue Ridge Bank is all about business. Our team exudes an enterprising spirit in each local market so we can best serve our business clients. We provide a wide range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, private banking and wealth management, mortgage lending, and government-guaranteed lending.
About Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs)
Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs) is a nonprofit organization connecting CEOs for learning and growth. Formed more than 20 years ago, member benefits include placement in a peer roundtable group and access to a thought leader network, and a robust program of events for learning and growth. This is not a networking group, but rather a group of CEO peers who are invested in the success of each member. To qualify for membership CEOs must run a business with $1M+ revenue and 5+FTEs. Learn more at www.vaceos.org.
Youngest Guy In The Room
Member Spotlight on Corey Divine, 2022 Board Chairman for VACEOs
Q: Where were you born and raised?
A: I was born in Miami, FL. My parents divorced when I was young, and I spent the early part of my life split between the Florida Keys and Miami. I moved to Charlottesville in middle school and spent the rest of my teenage years in the Commonwealth.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: I went to Gardner-Webb University, in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration.
Q: Who inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
A: My inspiration came from my father. He has owned different businesses my entire life. He demonstrated that if you work hard, you can achieve success while also being present for your family.
Q: Please tell us about your journey to become a CEO and how old you were when you got started.
A: The first company I founded was Rent The Help. I was 22 and still in college. I finished my last semester online so I could start the business when I did. Our original concept was providing residential labor to homeowners to assist with moving, yard work, and other general “muscle” projects. As the business evolved, we diversified by getting into event staffing and warehouse recruiting. In January of 2020 we broke the company into two separate companies – Rent The Help and Candidate Source.
Rent The Help provides high quality, short term labor for homeowners and Candidate Source provides staffing, recruiting, and direct hire services for a variety of industries.
Q: What excites you most about your role as CEO?
A: I enjoy developing people and solving problems. Every day is a new adventure and I welcome that.
Q: Who is Mr. Leo? Is it true he is the real top dog at Candidate Source?
A: My fiancé and I adopted Leo in the early months of COVID. He came to work with me every day during the pandemic and won over the hearts of our team. Every morning he runs around the office and gets his daily treat from his office friends.
Q: Are there any national/business authors that you follow? What is it about them or their message that resonates with you?
A: I cannot pinpoint one author or business leader that resonates with me. I will share that I am drawn to books about CEOs and leaders that have built something or navigated challenging situations. Over the last few months a few books I have enjoyed are Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger (former Disney CEO) and Hot Seat by Jeff Immelt (Former CEO of GE).
Q: During these last few uncertain/difficult years, how did you keep yourself upbeat and motivated?
A: I found the pandemic to be an expensive learning experience. As CEOs we are forced to make decisions that significantly impact our businesses, employees and family members. Unfortunately, for COVID, there was no roadmap to help guide us. But, because we survived the experience and learned from it, we are stronger today than prior to March of 2020.
“VACEOs has been a rewarding experience. Having a network of CEOs to share experiences with is a valuable resource and something that has helped me become a better leader and CEO.”
Corey Divine
Q: What have you learned from COVID?
A: Overall, COVID proved 2 things: 1) If your business has a strong balance sheet you have a head start and are setup to weather difficult storms when they happen. 2) Always be ready for the unexpected. Never get comfortable with your sales or your people. I forget the author, but I read a quote when I first started my business that has always resonated with me “Your sales numbers serve as a scoreboard for the past. Focus on tomorrow, not yesterday.”
Q: Please tell us about your VACEOs experience. How long have you been a member? Why did you originally join? What part of your membership has helped you grow the most as a leader?
A: I originally joined the Council to invest in myself. My early career was all about growing my business, and I rarely took the time to focus on becoming a better leader. When I made the decision to join, I knew I needed to spend more time working on my business rather than in my business. VACEOs provided this platform for me and has been more beneficial than I could have hoped.
VACEOs has been a rewarding experience. Having a network of CEOs to share experiences with is a invaluable resource and something that has helped me become a better leader and CEO.
About Rent The Help and Candidate Source
Rent The Help – Rent The Help’s sweet spot are labor projects in the 2-4 hour range. Our most popular service is moving labor, which we provide throughout the Richmond area. Whether you need help moving an entire home, or just moving a couch from one room to another, our team is here to help. In addition to our moving labor services, we also provide labor services for yard projects, small commercial jobs, & event setup services. Our lives are busy, and the reality is, sometimes you just need a little help.
Candidate Source – We partner with businesses to help them find their most valuable asset – their employees. Our primary focus is in the warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing industries but we also offer solutions for call centers and other entry level administrative positions. We provide these services through a variety of methods but primarily through traditional staffing and direct hire arrangements.
About VACEOs
Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs) is a nonprofit organization connecting CEOs for learning and growth. Formed more than 20 years ago, member benefits include placement in a peer roundtable group and access to a thought leader network, and a robust program of events for learning and growth. This is not a networking group, but rather a group of CEO peers who are invested in the success of each member. To qualify for membership CEOs must run a business with $1M+ revenue and 5+FTEs. Learn more at www.vaceos.org.
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