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April was buzzing with connection, celebration, and community impact! Here's what the Chamber and our incredible members were up to this month: ☕ Coffee Connections at Harbor Media, Hingham We kicked off the month with great coffee and even better conversations. A huge thank you to our LEAD Sponsor: Road to Responsibility, and our event supporters Action Medicine, Davio’s, Marshfield Community Media, Mayflower HR Junction, The South Shore Magazine, and South Shore Stars for making this networking morning such a success! 👩💼 Women in Local Leadership We were honored to hear from Julie Ellis of The Chef’s Table, with a thoughtful discussion moderated by Jessica Keefe, Board Member of the South Shore Young Professionals. Thanks to the South Shore YMCA & Laura’s Center for the Arts for hosting this empowering event! LEAD Sponsor: MountainOne Bank Event Supporters: Cardinal Cushing Centers, Crystal Moon Holistic Healing, Friendship Home, George Washington Toma TV & Appliance, Phifer Pinkham, South Shore YMCA, SteinbergHR, Tiny & Sons Auto Glass, Unique Stairways, and The Wellspring Group. Women in Local Leadership Kick Off We launched February with the first Women in Local Leadership Speaker Series of the year, featuring Susan Davis of SHD Marketing, and facilitated by Lauren Del’Ollio from South Shore YMCA. Susan shared her inspiring journey as a business owner leading a team of creative women dedicated to supporting local businesses with strategic marketing. Listen to previous WiLL sessions here. LEAD Sponsor: MountainOne Bank Event Supporters: Cardinal Cushing Centers, Crystal Moon Holisitic Healing, Friendship Home, George Washington Toma TV & Appliance, Phifer Pinkham, South Shore YMCA, SteinbergHR, Tiny & Sons Auto Glass, Unique Stairways, and The Wellspring Group. Our Chamber Recognized with MOBD REDO Grant The South Shore Chamber is honored to be one of only 12 organizations in Massachusetts selected as a Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) awardee. This designation comes with a $130,000 grant to reinvest in our community, supporting local organizations, non-profits, and fellow chambers. Learn about REDO here. Navigating the Chamber: More Sessions! Due to overwhelming interest, we hosted two Navigating the Chamber member orientation sessions this quarter instead of our usual one. Looking to maximize your membership benefits and learn how to use the Members Only Area? Join us for the next session on April 9 at 9:00 AM at the Chamber! Register here.   Did you miss one? You can hear their stories and get to know these women leaders through our YouTube channel (don't forget to subscribe!). What are the challenges for women in leadership today? "We need to be careful that we are not inadvertently creating more roadblocks for more women. I think that is a unique challenge as we get into positions of power. We need to be careful not just to take on the persona of the status quo... women were expected to look like men and to act like men. You were successful if you did that and you rose through the ranks. But how crazy is that? If I look like the guy in power, dress like the guy in power and I do all the things like the guy in power, I must get power. I think it's easy to forget that that's a really bad thing. You need to show up as yourself. And if you can't, it's not the right company for you."
  The South Shore Chamber gathered to recognize and thank their Partners and leaders who drive the Chamber’s mission for a better South Shore. The Chamber is no different from any other NPO. We rely on our Partners, Leaders, and member support to survive. We are grateful for a robust and committed team. Partnership Circle and South Shore 2030 Funders: A.W. Perry, Eastern Bank, South Shore Bank, Rockland Trust Bank, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MA, Mass General Brigham, The Patriot Ledger, South Shore Health, Abington Bank, Atlantic Mechanical Contractors, Bank of America, BID Milton, Cambridge Savings Bank, Cape Cod 5, Citrin Cooperman, CLA, Coastal Heritage Bank, Curry College, EMD Serono, Foxrock, Lyft, Massasoit Community College, MountainOne Bank, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Quincy Mutual Group, South Shore YMCA, Sullivan Tire, TD Bank, Unicorn Realty, 95.9 WATD, Welch Senior Living, Bay Copy, Campanelli, CLA, Drohan, Tocchio & Morgan, Electro Switch, Ellis Realty Advisors, George Washington Toma & Appliance, Jack Conway & Company, John M. Corcoran & Company, National Fire Protection Association, National Grid, NVNA and Hospice, O'Connor & Drew, P.C., Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, Stop & Shop, Unicorn Realty, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company, Jack Conway, Mass Housing Partnership, P&B Bus, Weathervane Companies Special thanks to our outgoing 2022 Chair, Deirdre Savage, and incoming 2023 Chair, Rich Fernandez.  A little perspective and insight from our featured WiLL speakers...We've had fun getting to know these women this year. We hope you enjoy these thoughts from each of their sessions and feel inspired. Deirdre Savage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA
Michelle Markowitz, Cardinal Cushing Centers
Lily Hsu, Labouré College of Healthcare
 If you joined us on the 22nd, you know we had a fun afternoon celebrating! If you missed it, you’re in for a treat. We have a recap below AND a “must see” list of places to visit on the South Shore this summer, crafted by your fellow Chamber members! See below for list. The HighlightsCelebrating accomplishments...  Learn all about our Hello! South Shore Project and how it's connected to our broader mission in this video!  Atlantic Mechanical is currently working on a diverse array of projects such as a new Roche Bros supermarket, Trade Roots Laboratories, and a new SpOt bakery. We have been working closely with our friends in the hospitality industry to assist our restaurant partners with getting back to “business as usual”, or “normal business operations” as soon as possible. We have worked diligently with this industry to help the restaurateurs that were open during these most difficult times while now re-opening those businesses who had been shut down. One area that has not suffered as bad as some others are our local breweries. We have been working with area business owners to expand their businesses by adding and upgrading refrigeration and HVAC capacities, along with custom maintenance plans that keep their equipment running at peak efficiency while extending their useful life and identifying issues before they become expensive problems. Our maintenance programs are tailored to each facility and are a proven investment. Within a year’s time, under unprecedented circumstances, Gratta Property Management was also able to construct, build, and complete a brand new 42-unit apartment complex, combined with an underground garage and a new café, Fuel America, situated on the ground floor, in the district’s bustling Weymouth Landing. As Gratta Property Management is also the Owner of Atlantic Mechanical, Atlantic installed all the state-of-the-art HVAC systems incorporated into the interior of this fabulous building. As spring arrives and the building is now almost 100% occupied, this project is bound to be a welcomed addition to the Landing’s history. A satellite refrigeration compressor station for a major grocer on the South Shore was completely designed, fabricated, and installed by craftsmen from Atlantic Mechanical. The handsome control panel was fabricated in our shop and the custom mounting framework was built on-site. Prior to this installation there was a problem with the existing compressors where they could fail under certain high demand conditions and this new station has added capacity and redundancy to the system and greatly reduced the risk of failure. With Atlantic Mechanical, you will find a complete service and installation provider with the goal of maintaining lasting relationships long after the completion of any project. With Atlantic Mechanical, you will acquire an experienced business partner, not just a vendor. We are tomorrow’s solutions for today’s environment. Whether it’s complicated, state of the art systems or multi-unit residential, Atlantic Mechanical leads the market in expedience, cost, and expertise. HVAC • REFRIGERATION • 24 HOUR SERVICE & SALES AtlanticMechanical.com • 781.331.1009  Ellis Realty Advisors an Interview with Dave Ellis Founder and Managing Partner, Dave Ellis, sat down for a quick Q&A on the eve of the Ellis Realty Advisors 3-year business anniversary. He provided insight into launching the company, building a team, the strengths of the South Shore, and the benefits of being a member of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Q - What surprised you the most in your first three years? I’d say how excited I was, and how excited other people were about the launch of Ellis Realty Advisors. I didn’t know what kind of reception we would get, from the market, different brokers, peers, clients. When we launched I had some reservations. Did I make the right decision? Does this make sense? But as I started to hear people’s excitement, I was very encouraged. Q - Every company has a 5 year plan, and we’re just about in the middle of E.R.A’s 5 year plan, what are you looking to accomplish next? I think it’s a balancing act, we want to grow in all directions, expand our different business lines that support our brokerage, and expand on our team’s strengths. But we also want to continue building relationships within our community, and adding value to the communities we live and work in. I want to continue building relationships with non-profits, and other organizations that are striving to do good in the world. Company culture is also a focus. I’ll never tell you I know everything about something, I’m always trying to learn and educate myself on different things, and that’s the culture I hope to foster within the company, one that supports learning and growth. Q - What do you focus on when building a team of agents? The way I view building a team is similar to building a team in sports or other organizations that foster teamwork. I think it starts with a little bit of competition, we are in a competitive industry after all. I want agents that genuinely want to be the best they can be, and believe they can do better than the competition, but that’s not everything. They also need to have respect for each other, and collaborate. One person isn’t going to take the ball and score on their own, everyone is going to rely on each other. You also have to have good communication with your team to maintain that, offering praise and constructive feedback when you need to. It goes back to that learning mentality, if you’re a team of know-it alls, you’re not going to grow and solve the problems you’ll collectively face. Q - What advice would you give to other businesses that are looking to ramp up? I think the best way I found to grow was relying on advisors to help steer me in the right direction. Getting advice from people who have the experience helped me confidently make certain decisions, and take certain actions that I otherwise might not have thought of. Whether it’s from a CPA, an attorney, a business coach, a life coach, commercial real estate broker, you name it, you should always be asking how we can do better. And once you have gotten better, I’ve found that you don’t stop asking yourself that question. Q - How has being a South Shore Chamber of Commerce member helped with your business? Relationships and economic development. It’s a fantastic medium to find like-minded professionals, which is always important. Especially as a business that’s tied to economic development, and tied to what’s going on in the communities around us. It’s also a great sounding board for various initiatives taken by the people in the community. I credit a lot of my success and growth as a business owner to the South Shore Chamber because I was able to make really strong connections and friendships through the chamber. Ellis Realty Advisors is a leading provider of real estate services on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Ellis Realty’s team consists of multi-disciplined commercial real estate professionals specializing in a range of services for tenants, owners, investors and developers. We held our second Coffee Connections this week with a new group of faces from our amazing business community. Since we aren’t able to get together in person, the Chamber has adapted it’s Coffee Connections to be one hour COVID free (mostly) for our business community to connect, talk about how they are doing and sharing some suggestions on what to read, watch, listen and cope with this new (temporary) normal.
If you missed the first round of suggested reads, wellness strategies, books, podcasts, you can check them out here! TV Shows
 Amid all this uncertainty, the South Shore business community has been a beacon of optimism and hope. This Tuesday, March 31st, a group of business leaders got together for our Chamber’s very first virtual Coffee Connections. While we are committed to providing resources and helping businesses navigate these uncharted waters, we also feel a responsibility to offer a temporary respite. And that’s exactly what we all got-- a one-hour break from all things COVID-19. It was a refreshing way to kick off the morning. The group of 15 shared some insights into some of their favorite books, tv shows, podcasts, media and wellness strategies. In the spirit of community and positivity, we’re passing these along to all of you – ENJOY!
TV Shows The Chi TigerKing – this was a widely mentioned series Ozarks The Affair Movies Ford vs. Ferrari Instant Family Hustlers Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Toy Story 4 Podcasts & Other media Mad Dogs & Englishmen with Charles Cooke & Kevin Williamson John Krazinski’s new daily video “Some Good News” (15 minutes of smiling and laughter!) Books Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell Same Kind of Different as Me by Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent, and Ron Hall Every Day I Fight: Making a Difference, Kicking Cancer's Ass by Larry Platt and Stuart Scott The Killing Book Series by Bill O’Reilly Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh Becoming by Michelle Obama (audiobook – Michelle’s voice is very soothing!) The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede Thank You for Being Late by Thomas Friedman Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery by Anne Farrow Wellness Strategies and Practices 5-Minute Gratitude Journal – three things to be grateful for each morning (gratitude journaling got a few shout outs!) Gratitude Jar – add something you’re grateful for weekly (or more) and read them at the end of the month/quarter/year Meditation Walking, more walking & POWERwalking Turning off the TV Reaching out to a different friend each day to reconnect and keep connected Virtual Happy Hours (with family and/or friends) Eat together as a family for multiple meals Cooking! Going to bed early Have other suggestions? Share them in the comments! |
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