Geneva woman creates non-profit to help with life's transitions

In July 2013, Cynthia Wade of Geneva found herself at a major crossroads. She had just turned 60, had shoulder surgery and watched her 23-year-old daughter move out of the house. After facing an empty nest, she also lost her job.

“I looked at my life and said, ‘What just happened?'” she said.

Wade already had an eclectic career, from business-to-business marketing, to stay-at-home mom, to running a church program. She then worked as a recruiter and consultant.

“That last job was commission only and it was hard to keep my head above water,” she said.

Earlier this year, she decided to form an organization that would help others in similar transitions. On Friday, she cuts the ribbon for Do-Over. me, a nonprofit that aims to help people in Kane County who are seeking a job, facing life after divorce, or other major life transitions, she said.

In March, she filed to create the nonprofit with the Illinois secretary of state's office and received a 501c3 designation as a nonprofit in October. An annual membership costs $150 and there is a one-time registration fee is $25. Those who cannot afford help can apply for a scholarship to pay part or all of their services. One-on-one coaching and classes are offered to help people overcome fears and learn how to better communicate and make decisions.

Wade said she will help people with things as simple as creating and navigating LinkedIn to how they can network for a new job, or even deal with the death of a loved one, face an empty nest, find a new direction during retirement or even overcome a health scare, she said.

“Many people need a do-over, like help with their skills, their viewpoint, their attitude or they are in other situations with life and need support but cannot pay for it,” she said.

She said the group “runs on a shoe string now.” So far about 20 people have signed up for annual membership seeking mostly job assistance, she said.

She and a board of directors volunteer their time to help others, she said.

“So far I have been relying on my own personal savings to get by,” she said. “But I know this can be done. Whatever the transition, it still can be good. Even if it's a divorce that you want, and that could be good. But it doesn't make it any easier to go through.“

CNBC host-CEO to help others

Marcus Lemonis, entrepreneur and host of CNBC's reality series, The Profit, and chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam in Lincolnshire, launched The Profit Campus Town Turnaround Initiative. It is a nationwide outreach program to colleges, universities and trade schools that encourages students to pursue and engage with struggling businesses in their local areas that could benefit from Marcus Lemonis' assistance. If the existing company the student proposes is selected, the student has a chance to earn up to a $25,000 scholarship and their school may receive up to a $25,000 donation. Selected companies also will have the potential to be featured on upcoming episodes of The Profit, which focuses on saving small struggling businesses.

FastTracks

Jim Heisler has opened Red Wing by Heisler at 2210 W. Route 120 in McHenry, in the shopping center with Charter Fitness. Heisler's Bootery was founded by Jim's grandfather in 1908 in Downtown Crystal Lake. In 2009, Jim Heisler opened Red Wing by Heisler at 1275 N. Randall Road, Crystal Lake. Now the third generation has three namesake boot boutiques. ... Kevin G. Hostetler has been appointed the new CEO of Velocitel, a wireless network services company in Northbrook. Hostetler has a background in working with private equity firms and has held leadership roles at highly engineered product companies IDEX and Ingersoll-Rand. He replaces James Estes, who is now the chairman of the board.

Chadi Yaacoub has passed the Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice examination in Miami, Florida. FIPP is the highest international pain certification, and there are only 855 FIPP physicians worldwide. Yaacoub is now the fourth physician at Illinois Pain Institute in Elgin to earn this title.

Angelika Babich, co-founder and CEO of Swapadventure in Mt. Prospect, said the group is hosting its 2nd Annual Holiday Donation Event. They are asking each child to bring one toy, one book, or one piece of clothing, new or gently used, for another child in need. “What is special about this event is that each child will sit on Santa's lap and take a picture with the item they are donating instead of asking Santa what they want for the holidays. It's all about giving back.” she said. For more information, see www.swapadventure.com. The Daily Herald featured Swapadventure on 2013.

Jeffrey A. Wright, vice president of sales and marketing for RJ Furniture Inc. in Waukegan, said the company has been in business more than 35 years. It recycles and refurbishes office furniture, workstations, files and also makes their own custom parts and furniture. ... Bob Olsen, owner of Wheel Werks in Crystal Lake, said his shop has been named one of America's Best Bike Shops for 2014 by the National Bicycle Dealers Association for the second year in a row.

Louis Foreman, a 1985 graduate of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, operates Charlotte, North Carolina-based Edison Nation, an online community for innovators that helps bring both seasoned and amateur inventor-driven ideas to market, and offers everyday people the chance to turn “million dollar ideas” into tangible products.

• There's more to business than just the bottom line. We want to tell you about the people that make business work. Send news about people in business to akukec@dailyherald.com. Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter.