In SnackNation’s early years, CEO Sean Kelly was afraid of hearing raw and honest feedback from his team. “Even though I cared massively about what people were feeling, and how they felt the organization was serving them, I was a little bit scared to get feedback in the most open and vulnerable way,” says Sean. SnackNation delivers healthy snacks [ Read More ]
Working long hours, not getting enough sleep, eating food based on what’s convenient, and missing out on time with your family… These and other stressors can be draining for a small business owner: physically, emotionally, and mentally. At times, it may even seem you have to keep sacrificing your health for the sake of your business. But health and [ Read More ]
Which scenario fits you? You have a steady stream of work coming into your organization but you’re still not sure if you're ready to hire. Cash flow is low, expenses are up, and you’re not sure why. You gave out bonuses but felt a bit uncertain while doing it. As a business owner, situations like these can keep you [ Read More ]
During times when it feels like difference is standing in the way of dialogue, lean into listening to better understand and communicate with each other. At Aileron, we practice conscious leadership. It’s an approach to leadership that blends heightened awareness, suspended judgement, and intentionality to empower us to bring our best selves to every role, situation, and conversation. Conscious [ Read More ]
Aileron is driven by our values of community and transparency. Just like you, we’re processing the world around us as it unfolds, and we are interested in how you are adjusting to the new safe business practices. We created a survey to learn how our community is adjusting to operating their businesses according to the re-entry guidelines. Our goal was to [ Read More ]
June 1, 2020 The Next Normal: Reopening Aileron’s Campus Thoughts by Sara Wiggershaus, Client Services Manager Today Aileron is opening our doors (granted, in a much different, limited, and nuanced way) for the first time in more than two months. It’s a day we’ve been looking forward to for weeks, and one we’ve been planning for since we initially [ Read More ]
Aileron is a very unique place. Whether it’s the people, the campus or just the mission we live by, there’s something here that gives people a certain feeling when they leave campus – myself included. Having spent over a year here as an intern, I’m not only leaving my Aileron experience with that can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it, magical feeling, but with a [ Read More ]
You and your team likely don’t have a shortage of ideas; in fact, if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you struggle with idea overwhelm, which can lead to a shortage of one of your most valuable resources: time. Selecting the right opportunities to spend time on is critical for businesses of all sizes. Every opportunity – a public speaking engagement, a [ Read More ]
If you never say no, then your strategy is missing a crucial piece. Many businesses work hard to identify and serve a target customer. But knowing which kinds of customers you don’t serve should also be part of your overall strategy. Challenge yourself to answer these questions: When was the last time you gave up a short-term win [ Read More ]
It can feel lonely at the top. You’re giving your all, but it doesn’t feel like enough. You’ve poured your heart into your work, and you love what you do. But you’re tired, too. When things get tough, who can you turn to? It feels like no one understands what you’re going through. Recently, we sat down with Aileron [ Read More ]
When considering the future of your business, what is the planning time horizon you typically use? Is it 3-5 years, a decade? What if you had to consider the future of your business 50 or even 100 years into the future? Would the goals and strategies considered and employed be different if the planning horizon were a century rather [ Read More ]
If you're a manager working overtime to make up for your team's shortcomings, you probably don't have time to help your employees improve their own skills. You know that half a manager's job is people development, but you just don't have the time. I wrote earlier about the dangers of being caught in the Gap Trap. You seem to [ Read More ]
