Suzanne Chestnutt says she divides her career into two parts. Part 1 was the hard-charging executive. Part 2: The compassionate executive who wanted to give back and bring joy in other people’s lives.
Chestnutt, a member of the Dale Carnegie Training board of directors, led the Things Remembered retail store brand for many years, a company that at one point before it was sold had more than 650 outlets and generated more than $300 million in revenue. After the company’s sale, she devoted her career to become what she calls the “turnaround queen.” Chestnutt devoted her time to her passion for the Make a Wish Foundation, an organization she fell in love with when she fulfilled the wish of a young girl who later died of cancer.
Things Remembered created an ornament with the young girl’s story in the back of the box. In fact, her encounter with this young lady changed her life. She began focusing her life’s passion on helping people and businesses become more successful. “By the mere fact of getting involved it began to have a really positive effect on customers,” Chestnut says. “Customers saw us as a company with a heart.” Things Remembered would receive the “Wish Maker Award,” a special recognition presented to the company for its on-going support of the nonprofit.
During her conversation on the Take Command Podcast, Chestnut offered several other wonderful insights and tips:
- Life is not just about results. Ask yourself, “How do you want to be remembered?” Chestnut says she doesn’t want to be remembered about her achievements and accomplishments. “I want to be remembered for making a difference,” she recalls. “By finding ways to make a difference in the lives of others, it pulls you outside yourself, and what you give. But what you get back is so much greater than what you give.”
- Do not sweat the small stuff. Through her work with the Make a Wish Foundation, she learned how precious life is. “You’re dealing with children who are going through cancer treatments and life-changing procedures. …. It kind of puts things in perspective that you really need to stand back and not get so intense about the small things, because life is about much bigger things.”
- Always be a learner. “I think the greatest success that you can have as an individual is to be an active learner and never stop,” Chestnutt says. As a leader, she is always helping people think about what they need to learn. She encourages every professional to learn from others, find mentors, and take a class. She recently took a Dale Carnegie class and enjoyed learning so much more how to become a more effective communicator – and leader. “When you give someone a really meaningful assignment,” Chestnutt says, “you need to let them know that you’re counting on them to come up with something successful. It’s not just a gesture. It really has meaning behind it.”
- Be passionate and purposeful. Great leaders, Chestnutt says, must understand that “there has to be an outcome or purpose of what is really driving your leadership. … It’s about passion, purpose and mission.”
- Talk less, listen more. That’s the advice Chestnutt would give to her younger self and advises other leaders. Ask people more questions, “slow down and take time to really get to know people and understand who they are.”
Join us for this enlightening event where you’ll gain insights into effective leadership from a seasoned CEO. Discover the importance of social responsibility in business and the transformative power of personal and organizational change. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Suzanne’s wealth of experience and wisdom.
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