I’ve enjoyed some opportunities recently to talk with a couple of our customers that are business owners. It’s amazing what you can find out about a person when you take the time to sit down and visit for a few minutes.

It’s a joy to hear how they’re overcoming the hurdles, obstacles, and even the fears of starting a new adventure in their lives. They’re facing the challenges of a startup business head on in order to make their dreams come true. On one of these visits, I spoke to a customer who wanted to share his story of how his dream to be a business owner became a reality when a fellow businessman took him under his wing and helped him.

This person became both a mentor and a life coach to him. He was so excited about how his mentor always had his back and now (thanks to his new business loan with First Business Bank), he knew that we had his back too. He is so thankful to those who have helped him in his life and now strives to pay it forward to those in the community who also need a mentor.

Another visit was with a new business owner who had weathered many storms over her lifetime. She used the skills and knowledge that she had gained in her life and started a business geared towards women facing various difficulties and hardships in life.

She could have been angry and bitter, but she chose instead to see the vision of how she could help women who were in similar circumstances. It’s another great example of paying it forward and taking lemons and turning them into lemonade.

It’s wonderful to work with a team that uses our combined experience to help businesses succeed. We’re not only ready, willing and able to help, but we’re also genuinely excited and inspired to see our business owners succeed.