“By entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs” is a phrase we frequently use to describe Edward Lowe Foundation programs. One example is our System for Integrated Growth® (SIG). Because the subject-matter experts who belong to our SIG team also run their own businesses, they are uniquely positioned to help other small-business owners. Below Camron Gnass, founder of Traction Brands in Lansing, Michigan, discusses his experience as a SIG team leader and with other foundation programs.
As a brand strategy and positioning agency, Traction Brands strives to create “remarkable identities” for clients, Gnass says: “We help people understand how they are distinct and then communicate those distinctions in language and visuals. As a result, clients gain greater confidence in how they talk about what they do and where they sit in the market; they become a better voice for their companies. Good branding makes people wonder where you’ve been all their lives.”
Gnass sees similarities in his work at Traction Brands and his role as a SIG team leader. “In a SIG engagement, I listen to entrepreneurs talk about their pain points and help guide them to solving those pain points within the expertise that the foundation can bring,” he explains.
“The beauty of SIG is that it helps entrepreneurs know what they don’t know,” he continues. “SIG isn’t a space where participants sign up to solve a specific problem or task. Instead, the process helps business owners truly understand what is holding them back. It then removes some of those barriers and creates clarity that enables them to move forward.”
All SIG engagements begin with a discovery call, where team leaders listen to participants describe their challenges and help them dig deeper. “Business owners often have a completely different kind of problem than they realize,” Gnass says. For example, they may think they need help recruiting new employees, but the real problem is how to prevent current talent from leaving.
On the flip side of the coin, Gnass has been a participant in a variety of Edward Lowe Foundation programs:
PeerSpectives® roundtables — In 2024, Gnass joined an in-person PeerSpectives roundtable based in Grand Rapids. No stranger to other roundtable formats, Gnass says the PeerSpectives methodology helps identify critical “hiccups” in business and industrywide trends.
Especially important, the roundtable provides a committed time for business owners to “unpack baggage” that they can’t with a spouse or friends. “Being a small business owner can be lonely, and the roundtable is a chance to be less isolated,” Gnass explains. “You’re in an environment with other people who really understand you.”
Gnass also appreciates that PeerSpectives roundtables strive to represent a diversity of industries and noncompetitive members. “I don’t feel I’m revealing anything that makes me uncomfortable,” he says.
The magic of Big Rock Valley (BRV) — Gnass has also been involved in Entrepreneur-in-Residence retreats and other leadership events at BRV the foundation’s 2,000-acre learning campus in southwest Michigan. “When you show up on campus, you immediately feel taken care of,” Gnass says, noting that this is a rare treat for business owners who typically carry a heavy yoke of responsibility, including employees, customers and partners in their communities and industries.
“At Big Rock Valley you feel heard,” Gnass says. “You feel completely welcome to explore anything that is on the property, that you’re given a space to just be you. And perhaps one of the most freeing thoughts — nothing is expected in return.”
“I’ve never been in a physical place where I felt more permission to be me — as a thinker, a creator and a curious person,” he adds. “Being at Big Rock Valley is an opportunity to feel truly understood as an entrepreneur.”
Published 1-28-2025