Walls holds a Bachelors of Business Administration and a Masters of Education, both from Belmont University, and has more than 30 years of financial and operations management experience. Last year, Walls returned to her Nashville-based Alma mater to begin teaching Foundation in Entrepreneurship, a required course for all undergraduates majoring in Business. (In addition to the undergraduate class, Walls teaches two courses in Belmont’s Massey MBA program – Management Consulting and The Human Dimensions of Business.)

Under Walls’ leadership, her FIE students (mostly freshmen and sophomores) recently teamed up to complete their final course project, a Start-up Analysis of an active entrepreneurial venture started within the last five years. The analysis, consisting of a paper and oral presentation, was designed to enhance students’ understanding of entrepreneurship and help them gain deeper insight on their personal entrepreneurial vision and endeavors.

 Making the cut for the project were the following business ventures:

• Patrick’s Bistreaux – a Cajun and Creole restaurant nestled in the eclectic neighborhood of Berry Hill
• WannaDo – a digital social enterprise that helps users create and add to their Bucket List
• See: a•gen•cy – a firm that offers consulting services and talent management

Congrats to all of the talented Belmont undergrads on a job well-done!

One of those brave participants was 72-year-old Richard “Dick” Traum from New York. In 1976, less than a year after he began running, Traum (an above the knee amputee) became the first amputee to complete the New York City Marathon. Seven years later, in 1983, Traum founded Achilles Track Club (now known as Achilles International) a nonprofit organization that offers numerous programs in support of athletes with disabilities, including pairing able-bodied volunteers with disabled runners to train and participate in races across the United States and abroad.

Avid runner and ISTS President and CEO Becky Sharpe also participated in this year’s event – but not in the way you might expect. Rather than run this year, Sharpe donned an Achilles International jersey and hopped on her bike to serve as Traum’s guide. Representing the Achilles International Freedom Team, Traum weathered the storm for 13.1 miles and cranked his way to a first-place finish in the Half-Marathon Wheelchair division. We congratulate Mr. Traum on his victory!

Check out this video of Traum in action! CNN Hero: Dick Traum

You can read more about Becky’s involvement with the Nashville chapter of Achilles International in this post from December.

As I watched and re-watched the explosion, I was struck by how quickly everyone went in to ‘help’ mode – it was as though everyone at the finish line had been trained and was following a plan. Even as the second bomb went off, more people came to the aid of the injured.

In the hours after the event these individuals’ reaction to run toward the smoke made me think not only of their bravery and the immense pain the victims and their families were going through, but also how, as a business owner, I could learn something from it all. It’s true! So here goes. (My husband says my constant translation of non-work experiences to business analogies stems from being most-strongly defined by my career. As usual I have a different opinion, thinking that I experience all of my interests very passionately – be they work, family or extracurricular activities – and that they are all intertwined. But that’s a discussion for another day.)

The business analogy that jumped out at me was how important it is to have an environment where people simply know in their guts not to run from the negative. Planning in times of low stress is key. When we take time to work a scenario in a relaxed, upbeat way we increase the odds that we can implement when the stress level is high. I used to record myself making sales calls and practice ‘dealing’ with my negative reactions to rejections. After a while (and I know this sounds sick) I actually became energized when I received a rejection. I worked hard to help the person, who was not at all interested in my products and services, to feel good about the call and then I would too.

As our company sets goals and makes plans we will also walk through negative scenarios, encouraging people to come up with outrageous ones so that we benefit from walking through the low odds/high impact cases. I am going to ask for examples of dealing with an uncomfortable situation head-on and will share those stories at company meetings so that they become a part of our culture. When confronted with a negative situation at work, I go toward it and work to encourage others to do the same. In my experience, running, hiding or ignoring tough conversations, issues and failures does nothing to improve them and actually results in them becoming larger and harder to deal with.

 I am grateful not to be reporting my personal experience at the 2013 Boston Marathon – I don’t know if I would have run away or toward the smoke. Thank you, heroes of Boston.

- Becky Sharpe, President & CEO

The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) recently invited ISTS Vice President of Technology, Bob Miller, to speak at their monthly member meeting. Before a packed crowd at the Vanderbilt Holiday Inn, Bob detailed ISTS’ technological evolution since the company was founded in 1985 and shared the story behind the development of AIM, our proprietary online application system. He also explained how ISTS’ use of innovative technology systems and regular enhancements has had an immensely positive impact on the company both internally and externally.

Here are a few highlights from Bob’s presentation:

- Technology supports ISTS’ vision of helping students who want to go to school to improve their lives by providing sophisticated, streamlined processes that save our clients time and money.

- Thanks to technological enhancements, the application process for our clients has decreased from 40% paper-based to 5% paper-based and 100% of ISTS clients utilize an online application process in some capacity.

- ISTS has leveraged technology over the past 5 years to improve the experience not only for applicants, but also clients and employees.

- Integrating Microsoft SharePoint into the ISTS technology environment has enabled improved tracking, organization, quality control, efficiency and convenience for employees and clients.

Prior to joining ISTS, Bob was CTO for Magazines.com – the largest magazines subscription retailer on the internet – and the VP of IT for Shop At Home Network, a$350MM retailer.

Nearly half of ISTS’ staff recently completed Dave’s Core Financial Wellness, an an 8-week educational program (specifically designed for companies) to help employees alleviate financial stress, get out of debt, plan for retirement and more. Dave’s programs and books have helped millions of people young and old tackle their financial problems.  

Here’s what a few participants had to say about the CORE progam:

When I told my boss (the president of the company) the plan, he shot me down fast.

“She cannot continue to work for us remotely.”

Period. End of discussion. Well, end of the discussion from his point of view but I spent the next 20 minutes trying, in vain, to convince him that she would be just as productive in big sky land as down the hall.

“We track all of her calls and conversations and product demonstrations.” I offered.

“No.”

“She has made or exceeded her goals the last two years and is 80% of this year’s goals with 4 months still to go!”

“Nope.”

“Our clients and prospects love her.”

“Becky, we are not going to do it and start a trend. The next thing you know everyone will want to work remotely.”

Those were the final words on the subject – at least the final ones spoken aloud. My head was full of thoughts like:

-          Wouldn’t it save money if we didn’t need as much office space? I remembered the pride in my boss’s eyes when we expanded our offices due to our rapid growth.

-          Wouldn’t our team save on gas if they didn’t have to drive in all the time? I thought of his big car and wondered the last time he put $5 in the tank because it was all he had.

-          Didn’t we purchase a contact management system and send all of our sales reps to training and teach them the importance of tracking calls, conversations and product demonstrations so that we could help them  
           improve their attitude, technique and behavior – oh yeah, I participated in 100% of that training with my sales team and knew the system inside out. He had not come to any of it.

We were clearly on different sides of this debate and despite my passionate plea, my next conversation with my sales rep was about her resignation. We both cried.

At that company, I never had the chance to manage someone who worked remotely. During my 11 years there, I had three children and worked from home for about 6 weeks each time. I was, after all, an executive. We never missed a goal while I was out. I did weekly sales calls with my team and product demonstrations while nursing. I heard later, that after I had left and the owner had brought in a new president to take over for him, several people – including one of the great sales reps who I had hired – had moved and were working remotely. I was delighted to know she had been trusted and wondered if the owner had needed more time to process the concept of working remotely. Maybe I had shown him it could work if you have the right people on your team. Maybe the new president was more convincing than I.

Trust – for me, that’s the key to working successfully remotely. Developing metrics to track is one way to verify that that anyone, whether remote or in the next cubical, is on track. What takes work is reviewing the metrics and key performance indicators and then having regular meetings to discuss them; i.e. managing! Sometimes those conversations are inspiring and sometimes they are no fun. A good manager is equally good at handling both scenarios and doing what needs to be done – cheerlead, coach or reprimand – early and often.

I don’t think that someone’s physical location makes a difference in their work ethic. I also don’t think that a title implies work ethic. Cheaters figure out how to cheat regardless of their location. If I had 5 minutes with Marissa Mayer, I would have a few questions and a suggestion: If you are allowed flexibility, why not others? What’s not working? You are a high tech company. What systems are you using to track goals? Are your managers unable or unwilling to see progress or road blocks and respond quickly? Or did you hire a bunch of cheaters who you need to fire? Fire the cheaters, but take the time to use the systems you have to keep metrics ‘out there’ and trust those people who do their jobs to do so from anywhere.

I read all about the free food and parking offered to Yahoo employees who are now required to be on campus and my response was that everyone would see through those “perks” right away – the message sent: we don’t trust you and we are cowards about managing you. We will, however, bribe you with food and free parking so that we can see you at your desk, where you must be working – after all, there you sit. And worst of all, leadership here is not going to walk the walk. We deserve special treatment unlike you. I’m not betting on Yahoo. I’m betting on the companies who are smart about it. They trust but verify and are open and honest about the real reasons behind their decisions and communicate them early and often.

- Becky Sharpe, President & CEO

In a recent conversation, as I discussed my weekly goal of increased business intelligence/exposure with a confidant, she rolled her eyes at me and said something like, “Why don’t you just improve your own skills instead of copying those of other people?”

Ouch!

I thought about her comment and first wondered how long it had been since she had eaten anything. Maybe her blood sugar was low. Being in a well-sugared state, I was able to ask her to tell me more about what she meant by that statement instead of shutting her down. She shared a perspective with me I had not considered – which was that if we spend time listening to others’ successes and failures we won’t be using that time to succeed on our own or improve our weaknesses.

Again, I was astounded at the black and white way she interpreted exposing oneself to another’s experiences. I use percentages and decimals and semicolons all the time, despite that fact that I had not come up with them, I explained. I incorporate best practices into meetings, keeping the ones that jibe with my team and punting those that don’t. Our company uses approved accounting principles and back-up procedures because they work. We are not concerned that they were not our ideas to start with. I wear running shoes and gear invented by other people and love the results.

“Don’t you have some original ideas of your own to implement?” she asked.

“Absolutely. We come up with original ideas all the time and many of them come during or after we expose ourselves to the experiences others are willing to share – even when they are examples of mistakes they have made. In fact, I share my own experiences, whether examples of intellect gone awry or on track, with my executive team as often as they will listen (or read my blog).”

In fact, in a recent INC article (March, 2013) Sandy Lerner, co-founder of CISCO systems, shared her experience regarding a disastrous partnership which led to her losing her job, marriage and pride. After I read this short but powerful article, I sent it to everyone on my executive team and made notes about things to consider as our company works on an acquisition – we have to make sure that all our assumptions are discussed and documented before the deal is inked.

“So you didn’t figure that out before reading the article?” she shot back.

“Woah, Nellie. Now that is enough of that kind of talk. Listen to this next Ted with me and then let’s revisit your view of taking time to be inspired by others.”

We listened to a short Ted talk by Richard Turere, who used a mixture of existing ideas to create a new one which resulted in improved business practices in his family’s business and, better yet, has been adopted all over Kenya with amazing results (Richard Turere – My invention that made peace with lions).

After the Ted talk, she quieted down, nodding affirmatively. In case you’ve been wondering who this Negative Nellie is, she is simply a voice in my head that on occasion questions my choices. Sometimes, I drown her out immediately and successfully move on to more positive self-talk. But other times I listen intently, wondering if there is a lesson to learn, a danger to avoid, a weakness to improve. Just like the many tools I rely on to grow, I am grateful for those shadow voices, especially when taking the time to listen to them results in an increased awareness of the importance of exposure to a wide breadth of experiences.

Smiling, I opened my weekly list of goals and increased my ‘improve business acumen’ one by 15 minutes. So there, Nellie.

- Becky Sharpe, President & CEO

During a recent conversation with one of these young men, I asked him to walk me through how he went from being a straight A student from kindergarten through 8^th grade to being locked up for possession and sent to a group home in one year’s time. This is what he shared with me:

In 8^th grade he began to receive inquiries from the most prestigious private schools in town to play football and basketball for them. He received full scholarship offers as an 8^th grader for four years of high school! His grades and test scores, combined with his athletic potential, indicated he could hold his own both in the classroom and in the gym or on the field – but he didn’t think he’d fit in at those schools. All of his ‘homeboys’ looked and acted differently than the kids at the private schools, so he did not accept the scholarships. Instead, he decided to be a star at his neighborhood high school. He was staying out of trouble by going to the local community center every day after school. He would play basketball or lift weights until late in the evening, then go home and study before bedtime, motivated only by himself (not by a watchful parent). Then someone thought it would be a great idea to renovate the community center. The center closed for a year to do so, giving the kids no other place to hang out other than the streets.

He was attracted to the oversized hooded jackets and saggy jeans of the older boys. He liked how everyone ‘respected’ them. He said, “I thought all of it was a fashion statement until it was too late.” By too late, he meant that what had started as a cool way to fit in soon became a dangerous way to spend his time. His peer group was selling drugs and carrying weapons instead of comparing receptions, rebounds and ACT scores. He had no adult in his life who could see the dangerous path down which he was moving. No one was there to help set him straight, hold him accountable or have an honest, love-based conversation around the consequences of his actions. His peer group was his family – they were there anytime he needed them. They came to the hospital the first and second time he was shot and he did the same for them. Sometimes they were locked up together and it made them feel better to have a friend with them on the inside. They shared common experiences and challenges. Their conversations were often about who had been shot or locked up or worse, killed. They would have shirts printed with a picture of a recently murdered friend and wear them with pride as their way of not forgetting them and as a way to mourn.

On this day, I had picked him up around 6:15am and we were headed to hear a speaker whose topic was accomplishing goals. As we sat in my car at a red light, he turned to me and said, “I’d be a different person if I had accepted those scholarships, wouldn’t I, Mrs. Sharpe?” I could see the anguish in his eyes but did not want to be dishonest with him. We had agreed a while back that we would be honest with each other. I would not judge and he would not lie.

“No, you would be the same wonderful person you are. But you would have had different experiences,” I offered. “I am guessing you realize how big the impact of your decisions can be on your life in a way you might not have if you had not had the awful experiences you’ve had the past 3 years.”

The light turned green and we moved ahead.

“I’ma make good choices from now on,” he stated. I patted his hand.

Two months later he graduated from high school – about 7 months late but with a diploma, not a GED –achieving a goal he had set. He wants to go to college and has been getting offers from both 4-year programs and community colleges. He has not registered yet. He is worried he won’t fit in. His homeboys aren’t in college.

I’ve got my work cut out for me, but am hopeful. That’s just me and we talk almost every day and he is asking the right questions – like, “Can I take chemistry and psychology?” and “Is it okay if I want to be a firefighter?”

He knows education is the key, but those negative influences are still swarming around him. I don’t have an answer as to how to keep them away. I fantasize about a dude ranch where I can bring him and hundreds others where they will be safe. I wonder if his life would be different if I’d connected with him earlier. Every day I think of ways I can help him fill his time productively, so there is less room for negative things on his fashion list.

Just last week I came to pick him up for a book signing and walked through the clutter of trash in the yard up to the front door of his house. The door was open and his mother called me in. He was not there, and as usual, the front room was dark and smoke-filled. His mother sat on a tattered couch and his grandmother on a pile of laundry, smoking. His 2-year-old niece looked up at me and ran quickly to her grandmother, despite my smile and soft greeting. We chatted for a minute and his mother said she did not know where he was, that he’d “been gone a while.”

“Not a problem. Tell him I came by and to give me a call when he’s back.” I said, meaning it. I have made a choice not to dismiss him for lack of dependability.

As I left I turned and saw the little girl at the screened door, face pressed against the glass, smiling and waving. I tried not to judge, but could not suppress a swell of anger at the situation she was in at no fault of her own. I also felt ashamed that I thought I could offer her something better.

“Bye sweetheart,” I offered, wondering what I was supposed to do.

- Becky Sharpe, President & CEO

A group of employees spent two workdays sorting and bagging donated gifts for needy families for The Salvation Army Angel Tree Warehouse Sort, Bag & Tag event. As one of The Salvation Army’s highest profile efforts during Christmas time, the Angel Tree Program helps more than 18,000 individuals experience a happier holiday.

In addition, thanks to the generosity of ISTS team members and their families, the company was able to fulfill the holiday wish lists of five local children ages 2-18 as part of the Youth Villages of Middle Tennessee Holiday Hero Program. Each child in the program writes a wish list with three items that is passed along to a “Holiday Hero” to fulfill. The 2012 program provided Christmas to a record-breaking 1,015 Middle Tennessee children. Youth Villages is a private, nonprofit organization that helps emotionally and behaviorally troubled children (most between the ages of 12-17) through therapy, foster and adoption services and more.

On Christmas Eve, as I drove to the last class offered that day, I allowed myself to gloat a moment on my motivation  - going to yoga when I could be deep into my first glass of Christmas Eve champagne. My heart sank as I pulled into the parking lot only to see two other cars there – a small class is great, no class and I might just cry. I had checked the website and there was no mention of a cancellation. I was sure I had heard that the 4:30 class was on. Door locked, cleaning crew and me in the hall – this did not bode well.  I took a deep breath and decided to see the glass as half full and not pout, literally: guess I’ll have to go home and have some bubbly.

As I turned to leave, I almost bumped into a woman coming down the hall. Her face dropped when I told her the door was locked. We chatted a few minutes, hoping that a teacher would show up. ‘V’ had started doing yoga a few months ago and has been thrilled with the weight loss and increased energy. She is a single mom of 5 kids ranging in age from 3-16. She is a librarian who attends the Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 am class so she can be home in time to get her kids off to school. There I was again, in the company of a hero. Her eyes danced as she talked about how loose her pants had become and how her confidence increased with every class. She, too, was an addict.

We agreed that no teacher was going to show up and headed down the hall to the stairs and into the parking lot. As I headed to my car I turned and said, “Wouldn’t it have been cool if we’d just done yoga in the hallway?”

 ‘V’ froze and, nodding enthusiastically, turned back towards the door. “Let’s do it!”

I have never asked a janitorial staff if there was a better side of the hall to stay on so that I would not be in their way while doing yoga in an empty building on Christmas Eve – there is a first time for everything! They were cool with us staying on the right side, so we set up our mats and got to it. I started us off with several sun salutations and then we went through the 26 poses covered in Bikram classes. Unlike me, ‘V’ had them memorized so fluently she could list the next two in a row without hesitation. The hum of the vacuum cleaner down the hall lulled us into a rhythm and no other thoughts came to me until the elevator door dinged and a custodian pushed one of those large trash cans on wheels out around the corner and down the hall. He did not seem to find our yoga-ing strange at all, but instead smiled and wished us a Merry Christmas.

Forty-five minutes later, we were doing shoulder stands and beaming at our strange experience. I thought about the fact that I was NOT going to blog about this – people will think I’m strange doing yoga in an empty building on Christmas Eve with a stranger. ‘V’ and I rolled up our mats and went back to the parking lot to leave, for real this time. 

“That was great!” said ‘V”.

‘Yep, it sure was. My name is Becky and I’m a yoga-holic. Welcome to YA (Yogis Anonymous), ‘V’, I smiled back.

- Becky Sharpe, President & CEO