I am honored to be part of the Leadership Council of FaB Wisconsin, a regional Food and Beverage industry cluster. http://www.fabwisconsin.com This group of local businesses leaders was loosely organized in 2011 with the intent of combining knowledge, sharing practices and promoting our region as a hub for food production. Yesterday over 300 attended the all-member meeting!

This vibrant group encompasses single owner/operators through multi-national enterprises. Each member shows up with something to contribute. When you see the attendance numbers, you know that each member leaves with more than they brought and that the meeting was a valuable use of time and talent.

With the combined efforts, we have been able to partner with a local high school to expose our youth to the myriad of careers available in our industry, get the local community college to invest in a Food Maker’s curriculum and develop plans for an accelerator to help develop entrepreneurial ideas into market leading products. By investing in our collective future, all of the member companies in the region will benefit from the infrastructure this group has created.

We all have company goals to reach and budget numbers to achieve. However, giving of yourself and of your company does indeed return more than you give. The results may not be instantaneous nor contribute to this quarter’s results, but the long-term gains are unbelievable. Working with talented and committed people towards a common goal is a spectacular experience rich in a variety of rewards.