What I Learned from Lunch with Barnett Helzberg Jr.
By Brittany Fugate, Founder
Sometimes I wonder what would be happening at Cenetric today if I hadn’t become a mentee in the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP).
Through HEMP, I worked with an amazing experienced mentor, Matthew Mellor, who helped me scale Cenetric and navigate the challenges as we grew. It was a business- and life-changing program that gave me a world of insights I might not have gotten any other way.
Last year, I graduated from the program, taking with me lessons and memories that will stay with me for years. And because I’m now a HEMP fellow, I still get to be involved in the outstanding events and opportunities HEMP offers.
A few weeks ago, that meant lunch with founder Barnett Helzberg Jr. (HEMP’s “Big Guy”) and other members of HEMP. Along with Dan Holmgren, CEO of Imagemakers, Inc.; Andy O’Hanlon, CEO of Equip-Bid Auctions; Sara Croke, president and founder of Weather or Not, Inc.; and Megan Stephens, co-CEO and owner of Willoughby Design, Inc., I got to soak up so much good stuff from one of Kansas City’s best business brains.
Learning directly from Mr. Helzberg
Over lunch at the HEMP offices, our group talked about all kinds of topics that weigh on business leaders from scalability to how to apply an Entrepreneurial Operating System to navigating the ins and outs of both sides of an acquisition. It’s always enlightening and refreshing to hear from other business leaders about what’s working, what’s not and what’s keeping them up at night (because it’s so often some of the same things that keep me up at night too).
I’m a passionate supporter and advocate for HEMP because of the impact it’s had on both Cenetric and me as a person. Mr. Helzberg is a fantastic person to have in your corner, attending events like the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Awards luncheon to support HEMP members like me. One indelible lesson is Mr. Helzberg’s encouragement for everyone to put their “worst foot forward.”
What does that mean? Often, in entrepreneurial circles, leaders tend to share more about their wins than their losses. Putting your worst foot forward means fighting that urge and instead showing up in conversations with honesty and vulnerability. By opening up about your challenges, you can find opportunities to grow and get valuable advice from those around you.
Consider joining HEMP as a mentor or mentee
You can’t get the hands-on experiences and insights you get when you’re part of HEMP just anywhere. You make real connections with other entrepreneurs in Kansas City, collaborating, connecting, and sharing what you’ve learned.
HEMP is looking for new mentors and mentees, and I can’t encourage you enough to consider it. If you’re a small business owner, they’re looking for growth-minded leaders who have been in business for at least three years, have at least five employees and generate at least $1 million in annual revenue.
If you’re considering becoming a mentor, HEMP is looking for experienced Kansas City executives who are eager to build a strong relationship with their mentee and share what they’ve learned in their careers, as well as engage regularly in networking events with other members of the program.
Be sure to follow HEMP on LinkedIn for opportunities to learn about how it works and whether it’s a good fit for you as a Kansas City business leader on either side of the equation.
HEMP’s values flow into our work at Cenetric
Cenetric wouldn’t be Cenetric if I hadn’t been a part of HEMP. Through everything I learned, we’ve built an employee-focused culture of cooperation, appreciation and openness that extends to the work we do for clients.
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