Appreciating your value and true worth are paramount to success. By Bernadette Butterfield, Thrive

Banish the insecurities that reside within

By Bernadette Butterfield

Thrive Steering Committee

IMPOSTER SYNDROME (noun)

1. The persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.

No matter how much evidence there is that we’re successfully navigating our lives, jobs and relationships, many of us hold false beliefs that we aren’t actually as capable or smart as others think we are.

My first introduction to imposter syndrome was when I, myself was diagnosed. Venting anxiety and insecurity on my return to the workforce after raising children, with new technology to learn and a new identity to build, it was my son, Christopher, who said with a smile, “Mom, you have imposter syndrome.”

Best-selling author and clinical psychologist Susan Albers, Psy.D., describes imposter syndrome as “the feeling that everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing, but you feel lost.” People with this condition, Albers says, devalue themselves and their expertise.

Lisa Orbé-Austin, a New York City-based psychologist and career coach, explains that anytime you’re in a new role, facing a set of challenges or simply out of your comfort zone, there’s a lot of pressure to perform well.

Feelings of “not good enough” have only been further amplified by the many challenges brought by the pandemic, particularly for women.

Caring for families, navigating online learning for school-aged children, having to leave the workforce altogether due to lack of child care, working from home and other new realities have placed an enormous burden on women and have heightened stress and anxiety, leading to more “imposter” moments.

The mention of imposter syndrome resonated with guests at Thrive’s May breakfast focused on “Finding Your Voice: Empower Yourself with Communication Tools.”

Many in attendance acknowledged having experienced instances of selfdoubt, setting off a candid conversation and informal therapy session with the audience.

It was eye-opening to hear the number of strong, accomplished women reveal times when fear and feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt had crept into their minds.

“Internally, we all feel doubts, apprehensions, ambivalence and insecurities,” explains David Dunning, a

Bernadette Butterfield is vice president of business development for Groom Construction. She is a member of the Thrive Steering Committee and sits on the Managing Board of The Chamber’s Board of Directors.

University of Michigan psychology professor who researches human misbelief and self-doubt.

It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, he says. It’s just that we don’t typically reveal those doubts to other people — and they don’t typically reveal theirs to us, Dunning explains. Therefore, we don’t see that others are experiencing the same issues we are, he says.

Building self-confidence was a central theme at the “Finding Your Voice”

breakfast in May at Root in Salem.

Panelists Samanda Morales, CEO and co-founder of Ahora Inc.; Karen Nascembeni, general manager of North Shore Music Theatre; and Janet Santa Anna, CEO and co-founder of The Resource Connection Inc., focused on public speaking, mastering difficult conversations and self-advocacy.

The trio offered solid advice — illustrated through their own personal stories and career paths — to empower the audience and help us all move beyond those “imposter” moments. Their tips included:  Know yourself. Recognize both your strengths and your weaknesses, then celebrate your strengths and identify ways to improve those areas that challenge your confidence.  Seek out mentors. Connect with advocates who will support and guide you on your journey.  Be authentic. Stay true to yourself and honest with others. When it comes to public speaking, being authentic is a great way to connect with the audience and banish your own stage fright.  Be compassionate. Show compassion to both yourself and others.  Use fear to empower and inspire.

Instead of being immobilized by fear, let it serve to kick-start your personal and professional growth.  Flip the script. Convert challenges into opportunities.

Thrive’s mission is to empower and support women in business at every stage of their lives and careers. Its members, along with the larger membership of The Chamber, represent a wide range of industries on the North Shore. Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge and a built-in support system that we can all avail ourselves of.

Stay tuned for more information on Thrive’s new Mentorship Program as well as upcoming events and initiatives. I

A show-stopping good time

North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly set the stage for Thrive’s April Networking for a Cause event. The evening included a preview of the season ahead from NSMT General Manager Karen Nascembeni, a Chamber board member, and light bites from REV Kitchen & Bar in Beverly. Guests generously donated nearly 100 scarves and hats to support the patients of Mass General/ North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers.

Elisif Photography photo CM&B’s new 30,000-square-foot headquarters in Cherry Hill Park in Beverly aims to celebrate and inspire the employees who have led the company for its 30 years.

A powerful force

SUCCESS IS FUELED BY PEOPLE POWER AT CM&B

By Carol Savage

In 1992, in the midst of a sluggish recovery coming out of the recession, Kevin Puopolo left his leadership position at one of the world’s largest design-build firms to start Construction Management & Builders, Inc. (CM&B).

His North Shore company was long on goodwill, but did not have its own track record of building multi-million-dollar projects.

What it did have, however, was a team whose members had impeccable credentials and a shared belief that dedication to operational excellence would set them apart from their numerous competitors.

Today, as CM&B celebrates its 30th anniversary, annual revenues exceed $200 million, and it has completed over 1,000 projects for Fortune 500 companies and others totaling $2 billion.

Beyond its impressive client retention rate earned through meticulous project planning and execution, CM&B has boasted an EMR (safety rating) in

the “superior” threshold for the past five years.

CM&B employs more than 80 employees locally and is considered a leader in several building sectors, including retail, high-end food/grocery, hospitality and automotive and has a growing presence in the science and technology, academic and several other industries.

LOCAL ROOTS

With offices in Beverly and New York, CM&B operates primarily in the Northeast, from Maine to New Jersey, and has done work in 22 states as far afield as California. But the North Shore remains its home base.

“Early on, when I started the company, I decided I wanted to work close by so I could spend as much time with my family as possible,” says Puopolo, who grew up in Hamilton and now lives in Beverly. “Today, many of our employees — more than 70 percent — live on the North Shore for much the same reason.”

The firm has hundreds of local projects in its portfolio, including the Liberty Tree and North Shore malls,

Elisif Photography photo From left, Executive Vice President Tim Puopolo, founder and CEO Kevin Puopolo and President Sean Fahy work together to run CM&B like a family business. Endicott College, Salem Hospital Mass General Brigham, and Boston Private Bank.

The company has also built North Shore facilities for major national retailers and grocers, including L.L. Bean, Nordstrom Rack, Star Market, Shaw’s and Whole Foods Market, as well as many auto dealerships for Village Automotive Group (Volvo), Kelly Volkswagen and Herb Chambers Chevrolet.

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Beyond its resume, CM&B has also built something far more powerful over its three decades: its people.

Of the original 20 employees hired in the first two years, all remained with the company for more than two decades. Three senior project superintendents who retired in recent years spent their entire careers with CM&B and several continue to work as consultants for the company.

Puopolo says CM&B’s proclivity for retaining employees is due to its inherent belief in its people, so much so that the company’s tagline — “People. Building.” — is one of its core values.

Investing in people to make them the best they can be is a central tenet of CM&B.

“You don’t earn a reputation for being the best at what you do for Fortune 500 companies and others by merely talking about it,” Puopolo says. “We’ve worked very hard at building a base for operational excellence and imbuing it in everything we do — and in everyone who works here. It’s part of our DNA.”

CM&B recently strengthened its foothold in the region, moving from its leased location in Danvers to its newly renovated, 30,000-square-foot headquarters in Cherry Hill Office Park in Beverly.

Though new to the park, CM&B is well acquainted with its neighbors, having built for many of the tenants, including Aero Manufacturing and Freudenberg Medical.

The move was necessitated by expanding market opportunities and growth.

Prepared with this new facility to support future growth, Puopolo and the CM&B team look forward to continuing to exceed their clients’ expectations while maintaining the firm’s core values and impressive work ethic.

“I’ve loved every day at CM&B,” says CM&B President Sean Fahy, who has spent his entire 30-year career at the company. “It’s run like a family business, and our people are great communicators.

“One of our biggest clients recently said it best: ‘They take the guesswork out of the process on everything they do.’ When you’re building highly complex structures and systems, there’s no greater compliment.” I

Carol Savage is a North Shore-based PR, marketing and communications strategist.

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