Page 42 - BusinessWest July 7, 2021

Lowry
Continued from page 9
places, and especially his.
With that, he returned to his cho-
sen textbook, How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is subtitled The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success, commentary he agrees with wholeheartedly.
Slicing through its 288 pages, he said it provides a roadmap for being not necessarily a popular leader (although that, too), but an effective one.
“Don’t criticize, condemn, or com- plain,” he said, while listing some of the tenets he has long lived by. “Show people genuine appreciation; let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers; give people a reputation to live up to; avoid arguments; be a great listener.
Easthampton
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vating old mill buildings into mixed-use properties featuring condominium and rental housing, as well as office space. One building, 3 Ferry, is already open, and several businesses are currently leasing space there. The next two buildings slated for renovation
sit behind it and present a sort of before-and-after contrast to illustrate the potential at the site. Once complete, those two buildings, both much larger than 3 Ferry, will add more than 100 new housing units to Easthampton.
While many businesses either slowed down or shut down during the pandemic, the four cannabis dispensaries located in Easthampton continued to generate income for the city. LaChapelle is hoping to use some of that revenue for a clean-buildings initia- tive. With several buildings in need of new HVAC sys- tems and some state money available, she sees this as an opportunity to invest in public infrastructure that will benefit the city well into the future.
“It’s a big step, and, where appropriate, we could offset some of the one-time expenses with our canna- bis revenues,” she added.
“Because all of them will use it in their lives, whether they’re entrepreneurs
or not. Positive reinforcement works much better than negative reinforce- ment. If you take it to heart, you can enjoy management and help people grow. The success of the people in your business is your success.”
Bottom Line
Getting back to that list of ideas that he used to keep his back pocket and that now mostly resides in his brief- case, Lowry said that, during those staff meetings — both years ago and quite recently — he would often get around to some of those items he had written down that hadn’t been addressed to that point.
“Half the time, they had a better idea than me, but at the end, I would
Liberty
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maybe the most unique, time in my career,” he said. “I really felt an obliga- tion as a banker, that we’re the only way this money is getting out there in this once-in-a-lifetime — knock on wood — pandemic.”
Community Ties
Getting back to the consolidation landscape, Liberopoulos said acquisi- tions can often distance a bank’s phil- anthropic arm from the communities in which is does business, but Lib- erty continues to be focused on those activities.
“The bank is very sensitive to the fact that we’re seeing consolidations,
so we’re seeing less money being given to non-for-profits in the community, and one of our chief slogans now is
‘be community kind.’ We want to give back to the community where we work, where we lend, and where we live. And
we’ve done that already,” he said, citing donations to Ronald McDonald House, and the Boys & Girls Club as recent examples.
“It’s certainly been part of Liberty Bank’s DNA and corporate culture,” Glidden agreed, noting that the bank’s foundation, which he also serves as president and CEO, gives away around $1.5 million per year, and the bank itself contributes in the seven-figure range as well.
“And our commitments are grow- ing,” he added. “As a community bank, you have a responsibility and obliga- tion to give back; all of us truly believe that. That’s why we’re here. We walk the talk. We give back to our communi- ties. It’s what community banks should do. We’re mutual, we’re private, we’re owned by our customers, so you have to give back to those communities.”
Which is even more important in an era of M&A activity.
“I just think, given the disruption
new to banking. We’ve got an experi- enced, well-known team, and we make local decisions with quick turnaround time. We’ll make loan decisions on the spot, in front of a client, when we meet with them. That’s the kind of bank I’m happy to say I work for.”
And it’s the sort of bank that shouldn’t be constrained by state lines, Glidden added.
“Liberty Bank is coming to Western Mass. to be a business partner with the community. We’re not coming there just to make loans and take deposits. This is the first stake in the ground, so to speak, but I think everyone will see and feel our commitment to Western Mass. as we build out our franchise there.” u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
These are the things you need to do as a leader and business owner.
“I’m always learning to be a bet-
ter listener, and I’m always learning to take advantage of positive reinforce- ment,” he went on. “When they’re the boss, most people have as their first reaction the thought that their job is
to catch people doing things wrong and tell them about it. But with just a small adjustment in philosophy, they could understand that their job is to catch people doing things right and tell everyone about it. And if they did that, they would be much more successful.”
And while this approach, or atti- tude, is one that works for entrepre- neurs, it does for everyone else as well, he noted.
“If I can help them see what works with people, then I will have suc- ceeded,” Lowry said in conclusion.
have a few ideas left on my list, and I would say, ‘what do you think about this, and what do you think about that?’” he explained. “People are much more open to things after you’ve lis- tened to their ideas.”
That’s another lesson that he passes on to his students, many of whom share his lack of enthusiasm, if not fear, of working for someone else.
In his case, that fear led to opportu- nity, and a chance to not only be suc- cessful in business, but also impart les- sons to others on how to do the same.
In both cases, Lowry has certainly been a class act. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Change Agents
Belliveau said one of the strengths of Easthamp- ton is an eclectic entrepreneurial base. Last year, the National League of Cities selected Easthampton as part of its City Innovation Ecosystem program designed to drive entrepreneurship and innovation. The city’s effort, titled Blueprint Easthampton, cur- rently features an online resource navigator to con- nect entrepreneurs with everyone from suppliers to counselors to help advance their enterprises.
The Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Assoc. of Black Business & Professionals are also working with Blueprint Easthampton, which puts a focus on informal entrepreneurs who might not qualify for traditional grants, LaChapelle said, adding that she’s most excited about the coaching aspect of the program.
“[JPMorgan Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon has execu- tive coaches — why not someone who’s making a product for sale on Etsy?” she said. Through coach- ing, entrepreneurs can learn how to take advantage of
“We’re seeing all kinds of people, including single parents and people of color, who are all trying to fig- ure out how to grow,” the mayor said. “We’re giving them technical support, executive coaching, and, at the end of the program, a gift of capital to help them get ready for the next step in their venture. We just ask they register as a business in Easthampton.”
Through all its challenges, LaChapelle remains optimistic about Easthampton because she feels there is a real dialogue between the city and its residents.
“In Easthampton, you can get involved in your government and make a difference,” she said, credit- ing, as an example, efforts by volunteer groups who worked with the city to create open public spaces.
“Easthampton has really embraced change and the ability to evolve and grow,” Belliveau added. “In general, I’ve found people are excited about the posi- tivity and potential that comes with change, even when it’s scary.” u
the many resources that are
available.
and consolidation in the market, that we’re a bank that’s still local and makes decisions locally. We give back to our communities; we put our money where our mouth is.”
As one of the largest PPP lenders in Connecticut, Liberty also felt a respon- sibility to support community mem- bers who weren’t customers, which is why it serviced PPP loans for such indi- viduals. In some cases, that opened the door to a new relationship opportunity.
In the end, Liberty grew during the pandemic — by about $1.2 billion dur- ing 2020, in fact. Some of that was PPP activity, Glidden noted, but about two- thirds sprung from new market share and new customers.
“We continue to feel optimistic — 196 years is pretty old, but I feel more optimistic about the next 196 years than I was pre-pandemic, and I was pretty optimistic pre-pandemic.”
Liberopoulos is optimistic, too. “We’re new to the market, but we’re not
42 JULY 7, 2021
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