Employee gift boxes were a collective effort

Last week, the HR department put together 475 gift boxes and had them delivered to every single North Shore Bank employee. Because we had to cancel our employee outings this year, this small token of appreciation was given out instead.

The reaction to the gift boxes has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s been fun to receive your messages of thanks. Check out photos and more information about the gifts!

To cultivate resilience, we must take time to recover

When we’ve put in long, stressful hours at the office, we expect success and the triumphant feeling that comes with it. But all too often, at the end of the day we find ourselves exhausted and still looking at a long to-do list. What the heck? How does this happen? At such times, it’s essential that we understand and cultivate resilience.

That word might bring to mind the image of a Marine slogging through the mud, or maybe a boxer going one more round. That’s often how we think about resilience — believing that toughing it out as long as possible is the most direct route to success.

To be sure, resilience does help us work hard, but cultivating it takes much more than simply pushing through challenges. Resilience involves periodically stopping, resting, and breathing. This recovery time is not only key to maintaining your mental and physical health, it also empowers you to stay productive. Want to know more? Pat Ingelse has the full story.

Five NSB employees nominated for WMBA awards
Last week, the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association announced the finalists for the group’s seventh annual Best in Business Awards. Five North Shore Bank employees are among the nominees in five different categories:

Best in Servicing — Joe Fretschel, VP Loan Servicing Manager
Best in Leadership — Jamie Sperk, Lending QC/Residential Processing Manager
Rising Star — Jordan Daul, Mortgage Loan Originator Trainee
Best in Processing/Loan Support — Tony Larke, System Admin
Best Loan Originator — Steve Luebke, Senior Mortgage Lender

Nominees will be honored and winners will be announced Wednesday, November 3, at the Brookfield Conference Center. Congratulations to all of our finalists! You truly represent the excellence and commitment to our customers that make North Shore Bank stand out. •••

Dress down in pink Friday for $5
Reminder! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to start it off properly, we’re having a pink dress-down day tomorrow, Friday, October 1. Donate $5 to the American Cancer Society and you can come to work in a pink top and work-appropriate jeans. Branches can deposit donations to 85-23025, and Corporate employees can leave their contributions with receptionist Nancy Hanson.

If you wish, there is also still time to donate to the North Shore Bank Goes Pink team in the ACS’s Making Strides walk on Saturday, October 9, at Milwaukee’s Henry Maier Festival Park. Thanks for thinking pink! •••

Pulaski helps footballers, Brookfield Cap gets new face

Pulaski area branch manager Katie Longsine stopped at Super Ron’s Food Center for the Pulaski High Red Raiders football team brat fry. Besides cooking and selling bratwurst and other treats to raise money for the program, team members helped customers carry groceries to their cars. As part of the bank’s Bank on Kindness initiative, Katie bought lunch from the team for members of the community.

“One of our customers brought us this cute pumpkin, just in time for fall,” reported Brookfield Capitol teller Janette Rodriguez. “I couldn’t resist putting a cute little face on it and giving it a name.”

Earlier this month, the Shorewood Feast returned, and lucky longtime customer Don won the event’s grand prize of $300 in gift cards for local restaurants. Don has banked with North Shore since 1999. “He told me he’s not one to win contests, but thought, Aw, well, I’ll give it a try,” Shorewood area branch manager Shannon Weber said. “He was so excited when he won!”

And Kenosha South will hold a free community shredding event this Saturday, October 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. This is a chance for members of the public to securely dispose of confidential documents, to help safeguard against identity theft or other kinds of fraud. Members of the public are asked to bring no more than two boxes of documents per person, to ensure that everyone has time to participate. Light refreshments and free ID kits will also be available! More info here. •••

Shorewood client: “I was shown respect at every turn”

Earlier this month, we shared the story of how mortgage loan officer Greg Kroll and Shorewood area branch manager Shannon Weber helped a customer desperate to get a handle on her debt payments. Last week, the customer emailed them to express her deep appreciation once again:

I am really not sure how I can thank both of you for all that you have helped me with over the last few months. As I told you, I was in a very dark place, unable to face up to the mess I found myself in, entirely of my own doing and due to my fear of facing up to reality and reluctance to ask for help to attempt to mitigate the situation.

As I said before, this really was a pivotal point for me as I knew I had to promptly reach out. It was then that an email from Shannon invited me to stop in to talk about seeking a better interest rate. It could not have come at a better time and could not have been a message that felt so cordial and so clearly an honest offer of help. Messaging like that is a very specific art and has a powerful effect on the reader.

From there I was given time to talk and process possible avenues to take. I was shown respect at every turn. I felt “heard” and you can’t possibly know how rare that has been in the history of my encounters with banks and financial matters. At this point Shannon helped me understand how Greg might be able to help to fashion some kind of solution that would be viable. Again, my fears cropped up at the idea of adding another person to hear my embarrassing story.

I could not have been more mistaken. Now I was guided through the possible steps to some resolution. I was given time and never talked down to, despite my very steep learning curve which always kept me wary of interactions with “bank people.” We negotiated some winding paths and tardy delivery of documents … but now I find myself on the day before the CLOSING — a word which always sounded to me like some form of medieval torture. Far from this previous perception, I look forward to resolving this and moving on. I know that there will continue to be challenges but I have more confidence that I will be able to navigate solutions.

I know that I can be overdramatic about things … always have been. I just have to say that all of this generosity of spirit and compassion has changed something in me. I was, as I have said, in a very dark place. You two came into my life and offered me hope. No matter how I think of this I can’t accept that it was simply a matter of chance. As in It’s a Wonderful Life, you two were, together, my Clarence. I was shown GRACE and will not forget it.

And district manager Cristen Baumann ran into a customer at MLK Drive who couldn’t say enough nice things about the branch. Cristen wrote to the team:

I had the great pleasure of speaking to Mrs. Smith in the branch and outside on Friday. She is the sweetest lady and loves you all! She told me about 20 times!

She shared that she has been with the bank for 30 years and has never had a bad experience. MLK is the best branch, hands down! Mrs. Smith said she feels like it’s family when she visits.

Great job on helping Mrs. Smith with her financial goals and also welcoming her warmly and kindly. Have an awesome day!

Excellent work, everybody! Let’s keep it up as we head into autumn. •••

If you’re struggling, it’s the best time to be mindful

Ever feel bone-tired and like nothing is going right? This is the best time to practice mindfulness. Detach yourself for a moment, and simply breathe.

Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:

I TURN MY THOUGHTS AWAY from things of this world. I look within for the hidden treasure.

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life With Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.” —Pat Ingelse, AVP and PMP •••

Black entrepreneurs can apply for free business tools

North Shore Bank’s new Black Entrepreneurs Initiative will give 10 people in our communities an opportunity to receive knowledge, tools, and support to grow their enterprises, through our partnership with the Lonely Entrepreneur.

Through Friday, October 15, Black entrepreneurs can apply for a year of free 24/7 access to the nonprofit’s Learning Community, courtesy of North Shore Bank. The Learning Community offers group coaching with experts, 350 learning modules, hundreds of templates needed for business growth, hundreds of vendor reviews and discounts, and a guide to financing sources, as well as a community of fellow businesspeople to exchange ideas with. The 10 Black entrepreneurs selected will also be connected with a dedicated North Shore Bank commercial banker, who can answer questions and offer solutions to help them grow their businesses.

The Lonely Entrepreneur’s Learning Community has already helped over 18,000 emerging businesses across the United States and wants to empower 100,000 Black entrepreneurs. If you know a Black entrepreneur, please let them know about this opportunity and the October 15 deadline today! To learn more and apply, invite people to visit northshorebank.com/BlackEntrepreneurInitiative. Also, please like and share the bank’s social media posts — your help in getting the word out is appreciated. •••

Secure funds at a low rate with HELOC promotion
Need liquid funds for a big purchase or project, to pay down debt, or just because it feels good to have a safety net? A home equity line of credit can be a powerful and helpful tool — especially at a low rate, like the one North Shore Bank is offering through November.

Qualifying homeowners can get a HELOC with a low 1.49 percent APR, through November 30, 2022, and standard non-promotional APR thereafter (currently 4.00 percent APR). Those low rates make this a smart option for consolidating debt. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, get in touch with the team at your favorite branch before November 30! •••

New Hires for September 30
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.

MLK Drive teller supervisor Aisha Young previously worked at HSA Bank. She was on national TV just a couple of years ago! “My family planned a trip to California, and I thought it would be great to go on a game show,” she says. “Let’s Make a Deal was the only show filming at the time, so I told my mom she could come with me, because she always encourages me in all of my adventures.” Aisha’s mom picked out bumblebee costumes for the two of them — host Wayne Brady is known for selecting contestants from the audience based on their creative outfits. “After being on set for an hour, Wayne picked me, and I won a beautiful ring and cash.” •••

Colleagues throw baby shower for Curro, husband

Colleagues surprised credit analyst Emily Curro with a baby shower last week. Her husband, Tony, even showed up! “After opening gifts, they joked that their daughter already has a better closet than they do!” credit analyst Laura Habighorst said. Shower attendees also enjoyed pumpkin-themed cupcakes and shared their advice for the new parents-to-be.

“I was very surprised!” Emily said. “It made it even more special that my team included my husband. We are so grateful for everyone who came and celebrated our baby girl with us!” Emily and Tony’s daughter is due in just a couple of weeks. •••