- September 22, 2015
- 4:13 pm
- Andrew Keyt
- no comments
Decoding Next Generation Leaders: Takeaways from Current Successors
NextGens bond over refreshments and experiences at City Winery. Photo by Glenn Kaupert.
In anticipation of this Thursday’s NxG Social and the NxG Leaders and Excellence conference on October 1st, we wanted to introduce our Event Hosts and ask them a few questions on NextGen succession, career challenges, and what they think is important for NowGens to know about their generation.
Nick Perrino (G4), Home Run Inn
Nick is part of the 4th generation Home Run Inn Family. He has been attending Loyola Family Business events for the past 5 years and is a recent graduate of the NGLI program (14’). Nick currently works at Power Play Distributors (a sister company of HRI) as a Sales Development Manager. When he is not at work, Nick can be found relaxing with his wife and two boys in Glen Ellyn, IL.
Brittany Cohen (G4), Magid Glove and Safety Manufacturing LLC
Brittany is the Marketing Campaign Coordinator at Magid Glove & Safety, a manufacturer and distributor of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety services to the industrial B2B market. Her role involves campaign planning, executing, and analyzing results. She has worked at the family business for 1.5 years.
London Rakestraw (G2), SCR Transportation
London is the eldest of the two sons of Stanley and Pamela Rakestraw. In 1986, Stan and Pam founded SCR Medical Transportation, which provides transportation to the mobility challenged community. After stints handling Government Affairs at the White House and U.S. Department of Transportation, London joined SCR in 2013 as Vice President of Business Development.
What has been your greatest challenge as a NextGen leader?
Nick: The greatest challenge I am currently experiencing is gaining the necessary experiences and skill sets to set me up for future success. In our ever-changing world, there is so much information available to you and different paths you can take that it becomes a challenge deciphering what will be best at the end of the day. Thus, I lean heavily on my mentor to help me work through this.
Brittany: Balancing being a family member with wanting to be recognized based on my own achievements. My family has known me since I was young, but I want to be viewed as a capable adult. My family has a good process in place for the concrete aspects (promotions, etc.), but I think that the desire to prove my skills is even stronger than if I worked for a different company.
London: My greatest challenge is acquiring the buy-in from my parents to implement some of the best practices I’ve learned in this program [Next Generation Leadership Institute].
What advice would you give NextGens to encourage them to be stronger, more confident leaders in the workplace, and in life?
Nick:
- Don’t get too high or too low–always remain level headed.
- Don’t exchange passion for glory.
- Know the facts–do not be afraid to dive into the details.
- Be yourself not what you think others want you to be.
- Stay true to your ethics.
Brittany: Speak up about your interests and skills. Even though my role is in Marketing, I love interior design as well. When we were moving offices, I made that known and ended up being a major contributor to the 4-person decorating committee. Being vocal about my creative side led to the opportunity to be involved in decorating the fantastic office space we have now.
London: Just know that each one of us brings something special to our families and companies. Whether it’s technical knowledge about the company’s operations or interpersonal knowledge about how to keep the family connected and informed, we all add value.
What do you want the NowGens to know about your generation?
Nick: I would want the NowGens to know that our generation appreciates the mentoring they provide. The more knowledge they can share with us the better off we will be in the future!
Brittany: Even though we are younger, and don’t have decades of experience under our belts, we do have value to add. Growing up in the digital age and as a millennial, we have a unique perspective to bring to the table. Plus, we are educated, ambitious, and are willing to work hard to achieve success.
London: Our generation sincerely appreciates the amazing opportunities they have provided and we will make every effort to treat the business with the same passion and respect that we learned from them.
Thanks again to our insightful Event Hosts for helping us out with this post. We can’t wait to hear more at the NextGen Social. Join us!
Can’t make the social? Come see us at the NxG Leadership and Excellence conference!
What challenges are you facing as a NextGen leader? What questions or advice do you have? We’d love to hear from you!
For more advice and related articles, don’t forget to follow Loyola’s Family Business Center on Twitter!