Testimonials of Peer Advisory Board Members who have benefited from Ray Silverstein’s President’s Resource Organization. Ray has helped hundreds of business owners meet the challenges of growing a business. Business owners with at least 5 employees and $500,000 in revenue experience challenges that require expertise beyond the scope of most owners. With peer groups, not only is Ray’s vast expertise applicable, other owners have often gone down similar roads and can provide feedback and/or suggestions that are priceless.
Dan Koch, Director – Kurtzon Lighting Company
Jeff Adesko – Thunder Press – A member of PRO with several dozen monthly meetings under his belt, Jeff says each meeting helps him define, verbalize, and follow-through with his goals in business. He often writes down questions as situations come up, so he can remember to bring them up at the monthly PRO meeting. He values the contacts he has made through recommendations from members. “I feel accountable for the things we have set out to do in this group. Even my employees realize the value of PRO. They ask me to ask questions about business situations to present at meetings as well. When I took over the business in 1994, things were really in a turn-around situation. I had some tax issues, and recommendations PRO made really helped. I think my expertise in dealing with scenarios that occur in small companies has helped others.”
Steven Weiland, Senior Partner – Heating & A/C Contractors
Robert Weeks – Weeks Publishing Co.- Bob Weeks joined PRO in 1999. He likes the interchange between people in companies who are very similar to his own in size. The outsider’s view is invaluable. “We are all at different stages of growth, and we can discuss sensitive subjects impartially and with total onfidentiality. I find it very stimulating. When you run a small business, you are kind of a lone ranger. CEO’s of small companies don’t get the benefit of their own advisory board, nor have the ability to hire an outside contractor to come in and give a neutral appraisal. It helps to be able to share with and learn from other business owners in the same situations.”
Joleen Spencer, Senior Marketing Consultant
Ralph Samuel – MLP Seating – Ralph Samuel joined PRO in November of 1999. He likes the chance to share ideas and problems with individuals that can identify. Dealing with company personnel was an issue he felt PRO members were able to help him sort out. “This is a setting where I don’t feel competitive. Conversations go on. I get feedback from members fairly quickly, and I also feel accountable for meeting goals we have discussed before the next meeting. Running a small company is like flying solo. You’ve got the accountant who sees his little slice of the business and the attorney who sees his. Very seldom do you have someone to lean on who can see the problem from a whole business perspective. This is where members of PRO have been of invaluable help.”
Thomas Jonke, Senior Partner – ETS Technology Solutions
Kati Spaniak – Indico Bellum – As CEO of Indico Bellum, a graphic design firm, Spaniak was involved in another advisory group, which she quit after two sessions. She feels that PRO members are more experienced and that Ray does a better job of facilitating the conversations to keep them moving in productive ways. “I like having the knowledge in the room advising me on a purely objective basis. I have talked to members of PRO about everything from personal situations to goal setting and job direction. I like honing in on specifics as well as discussing topics of broad general interest”
Tom Hutchison, President, CEO – Hutchinson Tool Sales
Jeff Bizar – Bizar Entertainment – Jeff Bizar has been a member of PRO for one year. His nine-year-old company specializes in providing entertainment for events using disc jockeys, dancers, lighting displays and speakers. He looks at PRO as an informal board of directors for his business. “The number one problem with an entrepreneurial business is finding knowledgeable and impartial people who can help you solve problems as they come up. PRO provides a pool of experienced and impartial business owners who can make recommendations on common business problems. Handling company growth, obtaining capital, and dealing with personnel and production problems are a few of the issues PRO can help with.”
Scott Bucklin, Senior Managing Partner – Manufacturing Risk Management Partners LLC
Ross Wolfson – Resource Technology – Resource Technology is a staffing support and human resource firm. Ross Wolfson has been a member of PRO for about a year. He has two corporate partners and an outside consultant. His partner was involved in another advisory group for five years and Ross frankly did not see any benefit in it. Ray talked him into attending a meeting of PRO and he was hooked. Because of his experience in the field, Ross has made suggestions to other members in the areas of staffing, employee relations, and labor law. Although he’s not there to network, Ross has made some valuable connections. “It’s a two-way street. I like going to meetings to discuss confidential corporate problems that I can’t discuss anywhere else. It’s a no-holds-barred kind of setting. I’ve said, ‘Are you crazy?’ when I hear an idea that is off the deep end. The fact that everything stays in the room is also important to me. Getting to know others in my business community and entering into some joint ventures and business relationships has been another added benefit of belonging to PRO.”
Kamla Koch, President – Kurtzon Lighting Company
Mark Swimmer, Founder, CEO – Integrated Marketing by Design
Duane Forst – Complete Temperature Systems – “I joined PRO basically to have a sounding board to bounce problems off of other managers and business people. With PRO, I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time a new problem is facing me. This has saved me both time and money to utilize on other projects.”
Todd R. Southwell, Attorney – Mergers & Acquisitions Specialist
