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Upcoming SBM Events

Best in Business Award Luncheon

October 29, 2026 | 11AM - 1PM | St. Charles Convention Center

PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA. We asked St. Louis area businesses to help us identify the 70 BEST businesses in the St. Louis area. Not the biggest, but the best businesses. We've counted the nominations and votes, and we'll bring the top 70 companies to one luncheon to honor them. Come and meet these outstanding companies and find out what makes them the very BEST. Event Sponsors: Bank of America and Vistage. Cost: $59, Tables of 10 are $590. Call 314.569.0076

St. Louis Business Expo 2026

October 29, 2026 | 11AM - 4PM | St. Charles Convention Center

The Expo is the largest business-to-business conference in Missouri, where 2,000-3,000 professionals come to learn, network and grow their business. The day includes an opening workshop, a full day’s worth of seminars and workshops, an awards luncheon, more than 100 exhibitors and a networking happy hour. For a booth at the event, contact Pat Coates at 314.569.0076 or email her at pat@sbmon.com. For more information on the Expo, click here.

Top Women Business Owner Luncheon

February 2027 | 11AM - 1PM | Hilton Frontenac Hotel

Each year SBM highlights the area's top women-owned companies. We've profiled more than 200 over the past 18 years. We bring them together for one luncheon. Event Sponsors: Triad Bank, Anders, Patterson Consulting Group, Spry Digital, and Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion, L.L.C.. Cost: $59, Tables of 10 are $590.Call 314.569.0076

Recent Videos/Articles

Culturecentric Leadership

Guiding Your Culture Toward a Growth Mindset

by Jonathan Jones

A business can transform its culture by applying the core ideas from Carol S. Dweck’s book, “Mindset,” particularly the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. At its core, this means moving from a culture that values being right to one that values learning. In a fixed mindset culture, employees may avoid challenges, fear failure, and resist feedback because mistakes feel like personal shortcomings. This can quietly limit innovation and accountability. By contrast, a growth mindset culture encourages the belief that skills and abilities can be developed through effort, feedback, and persistence.

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Exit Plan Strategy

The Hard Truth About Succession: Plan for Transition, Embrace the Turbulence

by John Gross

Here’s the hard truth: about 70% of family businesses never make it to the next generation. Not because the business isn’t viable—but because the transition isn’t. And if you think you have time, you don’t—most transitions fail because owners wait to long to start. The failure points are predictable: no formal plan, unclear roles, underprepared successors, family emotions driving decisions, and simply starting too late.
At the root? Avoiding discomfort. Leaders delay the tough conversations to “keep the peace.” But succession without friction isn’t realistic—it’s risky.

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