I and my colleagues at the NCEO are big proponents of learning about something from those who have gone through it. What better way to get information on what something is like than to talk to somebody with real-world experience? It's all well and good to learn in other ways but, removed from a human perspective, it can all start to seem a bit theoretical.

Employee ownership and ESOPs are no different. It's fantastic and important to discover the basics of valuation, financing options, and transaction processes on their own, and getting a first-hand perspective can only strengthen that knowledge. What challenges were specific to their industry, location, or size? What would they do differently? How did it feel?

In that spirit, I'm excited that opportunities to learn directly from those involved in employee ownership are proliferating. First up, we have a webinar put on by our friends at EO Equals, a campaign made up of various organizations dedicated to increasing the visibility and ultimately the adoption of employee ownership in our economy. In a free webinar on Thursday, June 23, at 1:00 p.m. ET, Shavon Prophet of the ICA Group will talk to Paul Eldrenkamp, Emily Sills, and Rachel White of Byggmeister about why employee ownership was the best route when Paul wanted to sell his design and construction business. Register here today for this free webinar.

And to our readers in mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, I'm delighted that I'll be speaking at our Is an ESOP Right for You? event on June 28 and 29 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Presented in conjunction with our friends at the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center, the presentation will feature two business leaders with first-hand experience leading ESOP companies. John King of Cross Company and Dan Adley of KTA will be at the ready to answer questions about what it's really like to become employee-owned and stay employee-owned. The event is coming up soon, so register today to secure your spot!