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President’s Message – January 2023

Happy New Year, EFBC. See a special message from EFBC President, Andy Sanghani!

January is a special month for many reasons. As the beginning of the new year, we have an opportunity to hit the reset button and start with a clean slate. The gyms are packed with those focused on improving their physical health. Businesses are implementing new plans to boost performance. The excitement of NFL playoffs is upon us. Last but not least, I am fortunate to call it my birthday month :). January 29th to be exact. That makes me an Aquarius. I don’t know what that means but my girlfriend Tina reminds me of it all the time.

I’m not sure how you all are in those days leading up to your birthday, but my mind gets filled with so many thoughts, mostly of reflection. At 42 years old, I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes and poor choices. What has gotten me through each of those has been my family. My strongest feelings these days are those of unconditional love for my family. I’m happily in love with my partner in life (and lifetimes prior), Tina. Blessed father of two children, Ava and Ayaan. Spoiled baby brother of two sisters, Nisha and Grishma. Son of the most generous parents, Govind and Nalini.

With each of these relationships I’ve learned countless lessons. My children teach me everyday the importance of patience. Tina has taught me the growth that comes through feeling uncomfortable. My sisters have always provided mentorship – even when I didn’t care for it. Finally, my parents have shown me what it means to truly sacrifice and persevere.

As an owner of a 2nd generation family business, it all starts with family. I’m excited to celebrate my 42nd birthday with them and my other passion, pizza.

Andy Sanghani
EFBC President 2022-2023

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Meet Jodi Behrendt, President of Advantage Trailer

Get to know Jodi, a new member of the EFBC, who joined us in 2022.

Advantage Trailer
Founded: 1989
Location: Carol Stream, IL
Forum: Nirvana

Tell us about your career leading up to where you are now.
I was 17, when my family started Advantage Trailer so I did not have much of a career then but I did work at the business from day one until I graduated college. I left Advantage after college to take a job in the teaching field but soon returned back to Advantage. I left Advantage again, to raise my 2 boys but came back after they started school. The last time I left Advantage, during the great Recession on 2008 to teach again but Advantage kept pulling me back. I always new our business was special and the draw to work in the family business was to strong so I came back in 2015 and I am here to stay.

What do you like most about what you do?
Working with family, most the time. Proud of providing honest, value based service and products. Solving customer needs by providing answers to their companies needs and seeing our hard work pay off.

How did you hear about the EFBC?
I heard about EFBC from Rick Rasmussen, a member of EFBC, at a business brokers and intermediaries event. I was feeling very out of place and I happen to be sitting next to Rick and he invited me to an EFBC event. Liz then reached out to me and visited our business and I shared somethings with her and she gave me a contact to another EFBC member. That member and I went out to breakfast and talked for hours. After that I was hooked.

Why did you join, and what do you hope to gain from your membership?
I joined the EFBC because the people were so different from other business groups I attended, they were down to earth, they made me feel comfortable from the first event I came to. I loved that there are family connections with all the businesses and that there were woman involved with EFBC. I hope to gain some close friendships, some confidents and learn as well with the EFBC.

Join us in welcoming Jodi to the EFBC community.

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New Year, Same Shared Experience

We asked members what shared experience they received last year that they plan to carry into the new year!

New year, new you! Right? All of us are most likely welcoming the start of 2023 with a list of things we want to improve on. Maybe you want to take up a new hobby, like cooking or painting or you’ve vowed to be more active. This new year brings the opportunity to start fresh and create change to be your best self in your personal life and in your business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t carry over the valuable lessons we learned in 2022!

One of the most invaluable benefits of being a member of the Entrepreneur and Family Business Council is the community of peer support that surrounds each member. At the heart of that community of peer support is our practice of shared experience. Unlike giving advice, shared experience removes all judgement and allows you to make decisions and formulate solutions on your own accord.

When part of EFBC, our members are never alone in the obstacles they face in their business. They cherish the shared experiences they receive from other members who have been where they’re at and use it to devise their own solutions. We asked some of our members to recount a shared experience they received that they plan to continue using in 2022 to improve their business or personal life! See what they said below.

A few years ago, we attended an EFBC event that covered a business framework by the name of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). We were intrigued and decided to reach out to other EFBC members to inquire about their experience with similar systems – and we learned a lot. We ended up moving forward with EOS due to its strong cultural fit and it has been transformative to 2XL. Even now, and throughout 2023, we will be continuing to strengthen our focus, discipline, and accountability – all pillars of EOS, and all brought about by EFBC’s learning series. In our experience, these events cover a wide array of topics, and can turbocharge your firm and knowledge – helping to clarify and simplify the business to achieve your goals.

-Robert Giammanco, CEO, 2XL Corporation

It’s difficult to share only one experience that’s helped me through difficult times, but most important to me are the experiences that have been shared that remind me mindset, plans and expectations at times in our lives need to be adjusted. I’ve learned that plan B can be just as rewarding AND successful as plan A. I consider my biggest personal growth coming from the success of plan B and not beating myself up over the original plan not working out like I expected.

-Sara Poss, Broker, @properties

Our members are grateful for the valuable insights they receive through EFBC and we’re grateful for them! Ready to learn more about how EFBC helps you learn and grow? Hear straight from the voices who make up our community in this short video!