Podcast of “Get Down To Business with Shalom Klein” – 4/17/2016 – Brad Cole and Dr. William Katz
Podcast of “Get Down To Business with Shalom Klein” – 3/20/2016
It was a pleasure meeting Rabbi Capers Funnye
Update from S4: News and Politics from Illinois and around the USA
| With just over two weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the first presidential primary vote in the country, candidates are scrambling to differentiate themselves and appeal to voters. Last night’s Republican debate was as combative as ever, with Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz dominating much of the fight. In case you missed the action, here’s a quick recap of the highlights in the New York Times. According to the Washington post and a slew of other outlets, Trump, Cruz, and Rubio ‘won’ the debate. Read the Washington Post’s winners and losers take here and a New York Times roundup of pundit opinions here.
Also in the Post: Hillary Clinton is not doing nearly as well now as she was during her 2008 campaign. National polls are fickle, the reporter points out, and polls tend to change dramatically after early state primary results are out. But Clinton is not as far ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders as many expected her to be by now. Read more.
Sen. Rand Paul’s bill to subject the Federal Reserve to Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditing failed to garner enough of a majority to pass. Sen. Paul and other supporters of the bill are critical of the Fed’s control over interest rates, while opponents fear the consequences of the Fed’s losing its independence. What is interesting in politicalterms is that Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent senator making a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, is a co-sponsor of the bill. Read more in the Washington Post.
In a move that does nothing to appease the coal industry, the Obama administration announced it will pause the process of approving new leases for coal mining on public lands. The Interior Department is conducting an extensive review of the coal leasing program, specifically to determine if the current lease and royalty rates companies pay the government accurately reflect the market value. The administration plans to stop new leases until the review is complete. Read more in the New York Times.
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| Illinois Gov. Rauner seems to be pursuing an even more aggressive reform agenda than he was last year. He declared today that he and the large state worker union AFSCME are at a contract negotiation impasse, he refuses to fund higher education operations and grants without seeing spending reforms from universities, and he will not consider bailing out Chicago’s public schools unless Mayor Emanuel acts on the governor’s Turnaround Agenda. Former US Attorney Dan Webb, who has led previous investigations into Cook County corruption, will lead the investigation into Chicago’s Law Department following the recent scandals. He will examine civil rights claim proceedings, make recommendations, and refer cases of possible misconduct to the city Inspector General. Read more in the Tribune.
Meanwhile, video of another police shooting was released yesterday. This one was three years ago, and the video is not nearly as clear as the one from the Laquan McDonald case. Nonetheless, its release and the shooting itself are just as controversial. Read more in the Tribune.
Mayor Emanuel is considering a new tax on tobacco and cigars to pay for a summer school program for students considered at risk of dropping out. The tax would raise an estimated $6 million. Some question the wisdom of adding new programs to the city’s offerings when Chicago Public Schools cannot pay for its current programs. According to the Sun-Times, “the answer is part education and part political.” The mayor needs all of the political good will he can muster, and targeting education aid to inner-city youth is the administration’s latest strategy. Read more.
The mayor also proposed raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. The Chicago suburb of Evanston passed a local ordinance to do just that in 2014. Read more.
In the heated fight for the role of Cook County State’s Attorney, the Democratic party officially endorsed Kim Foxx over incumbent Anita Alvarez and fellow challenger Donna More. More is trying to spin the endorsement to her advantage, saying voters want someone seen as independent from established officials. Read more in the Tribune. |
Avi Lesser with Shalom Klein on Get Down To Business
Avi Lesser joined Shalom Klein on his weekly radio show, Get Down To Business, to discuss Keshet’s upcoming banquet in Chicago.
Podcast of “Get Down To Business with Shalom Klein” – 1/17/2016 – Dr. Barbara Ross Lee, George Hoffman, Elisheva Klein and Dave Yonkman
Appeared on a North Town Neighborhood News Magazine show with Avy Meyers discussing West Rogers Park
Check out this article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Even in business, helping creates its own reward
A wave of abundance, with the exception of rejections, rarely washes over a job-seeker. Everything else seems in limited supply, including contacts. Enter a person who freely gives you one. Should you do more than write, telephone or email thanks?
Some people feel obligated to send a token of thanks to express their appreciation. However, some relationship-builders don’t expect much of anything in return, because their joy comes from helping people get from Point A to Point B by giving them a good contact.
Larry Buchsbaum, the Marblehead, Mass., owner of LBVentures, provides outsourced marketing and business development for CPA and law firms and is currently job-hunting. His more than 600 LinkedIn contacts are people he knows. He’s so “happy to share” that he recently found himself giving an introduction even to a job-seeker who could have been a competitor.
Normally, Buchsbaum freely shares a contact, but this time he also asked himself if helping out could have a negative impact on him. When he realized the two would be looking for different jobs, he continued giving.
He sums up his philosophy on good contacts with “the more the merrier.” Today is light years away from early in his career when he felt he was “panhandling” and “unnatural” while job-hunting in an environment without established relationships.
Shalom Klein, chairman of Jewish B2B Networking Inc. in Skokie, Ill., receives calls and resumes every day from people — more than 1,600 to date — who don’t have jobs or don’t have jobs they want. He also helps business owners.
“I drink a lot of coffee every day,” he quips. When he hears from employers looking for people to hire, he digs into his database.
“I try to connect the dots, at least get them an interview,” Klein explains. “I can’t guarantee a job or a perfect fit, but close to 400 people have found positions. My satisfaction and compensation is a note of thanks or that they’re starting their job.”
He’s noticed, however, that people in career transitions have introduced him “to the most wonderful contacts or volunteer to help with events or projects I’m working on, and it’s been a fantastic resource.” Their LinkedIn recommendations help him promote his work.
Buchsbaum connects people automatically, without expecting anything in return. He’s even found himself giving contacts when he was supposed to be asking the other person for help in finding a job.
“If I’m walking into a room or a person sends an email and I know people and can introduce them, to me this is natural. It’s just what I do. I love connecting the dots. If you’re a connector, people view you that way, value the relationship and get to appreciate who you are and what you do and are willing to help.”
Neither of these men is looking for compensation. Their professional matchmaking is easy for them and comes without a fee. Klein doesn’t even feel cheated if he doesn’t receive an acknowledgment, because he derives satisfaction from putting people together.
Buchsbaum loves sending a person in the right direction and derives additional satisfaction from “the people who take the referral and run, get back to me and say it was a fantastic contact, because I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do.”
The next time you’ve been lucky to receive a contact, ask yourself whether you think the person really expects the favor returned. A thank-you may be enough. Meanwhile, start your own relationship-building and share the wealth.
Dr. Mildred L. Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. © 2013 Passage Media.
Nice 2011 blog by Joan Brunwasser: Shalom Klein, the Networkers' Networker
My guest today is Shalom Klein. Welcome to OpEdNews. Recently, you started something called Jewish B2B Networking, Inc. [JB2BN]. Can you tell our readers about it?
Thank you for your kind words and for coming. Jewish B2B Networking was formed less than one year ago with the intent of trying to address two basic needs in our community — stimulating small business and creating job opportunities. JBN is the largest Jewish networking organization in the metro-Chicago area with active branches in Detroit and St. Louis. More than 12,000 small businesses and employment opportunity seekers are subscribed online and thousands have already attended the twice-monthly education and networking events held at convenient locations throughout.
The place was packed. It was my first time so I have no idea; is it always that full? You’re obviously answering a need.
Exactly, there is a need for people to connect. I hear time and again about people that were able to network, do business, and share ideas for employment at our programs. Our events have been drawing large numbers of new attendees, and the word has been spreading.
Describe a typical meeting for our readers, please. Do people just stand around and shmooze? That could be very awkward.
Each of our networking meetings has three parts: Open networking/shmoozing, a speaker on a topic of interest to both job seekers and business owners, and structured networking. As I’ve networked, I have seen many people that are quiet and reserved. They seem to have trouble getting up and introducing themselves. Others seem to be running around trying to get their business cards to as many people as possible. Each event has been at different venues and have networked with unique formats – people actually find the events both successful and fun.
I’m one of the more reserved ones you mention and I surprised myself by really enjoying the evening. Tell us something about your background, Shalom. You’re a pretty young fellow. Why did you think that you would be able to put such an ambitious venture together?
I was taught from a young age that the highest form of charity is helping someone earn their own livelihood and be able to support themselves. Being in business and meeting many different entrepreneurs, small business owners, and networkers led me to realize that all it takes to help a jobseeker land an interview is a connection. The same principal applies in business, so I encourage everyone I meet to “Get out there and network, and build relationships”. Today, we are seeing the many encouraging stories that allow me to keep putting in those efforts.
Can you give us an example of one of these encouraging stories?
Actually, just from the event that you joined us at two days ago – I got an email that someone connected with a former high-school classmate. They knew each other and even their families had become friends, but they actually had no clue what the other one does for a living. It is my understanding that they got together for coffee yesterday and actually signed a contract for a large joint project. Many more stories are being told about the 2nd and 3rd degree business and employment connections that are being made thanks to our involvement.
Very cool story! Networking possibilities are truly everywhere. You actually have a full-time job outside of all this networking stuff. What is it that you do when you’re not doing your business matchmaking?
I am the Director of Business Services for our family-owned and operated firm in Skokie, IL. Our business, MK&A, works with small businesses in helping them with bookkeeping, accounting, and taxes at a very low monthly rate. It is obviously a busy time of year now, with tax season well underway. My role is in working with new businesses in helping them get out of operating in crisis mode and coordinating so our bookkeepers and accountants can help business owners get the financial information they need to run their business.
It is actually from my networking for the business that the idea for Jewish B2B was developed. I simply wanted to connect many of the people that I had met and see how they can work together.
What are your plans for JB2BN? How would you like to see it grow? And where do you see it going? Could it become a prototype for other groups seeking to emulate your success?
I would like to continue to address two basic needs in our community – stimulating small business and creating job opportunities. Obviously, even if one person was helped by our efforts, it would have been enough. Today, I look forward to working even harder to reach into other communities and see how we can expand our efforts. We have already started launching Jewish B2B events in Detroit and St. Louis, and my plans are to expand our effort throughout the Midwest region.
What else would you like to tell our readers that we haven’t talked about yet, Shalom?
There is a statistic out there that 90-95% of job openings out there are not posted online. Both business and employment opportunities require real relationship and personal connections. I am excited about our successes but look forward to doing even more and serving as a resource to your readers. The strength is in numbers, if we can come together – we will be able to accomplish huge things for our business community.
What you’ve created is a thing of beauty, Shalom. Thank you for talking with me.