‘Taking more time to enjoy the ride’: Mainers share 2023 business, personal resolutions

Pixabay Mainebiz asked leaders from around the state about their business and personal aspirations for this year. Their answers may surprise you.

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By Renee Cordes

As we ring in a new year, Mainebiz asked movers and shakers from around the state to share their 2023 resolutions related to their professional and personal lives. While self-care is a common theme, some of the answers may surprise you. Here's what they told us.

File Photo / Tim Greenway

Jason Levesque

Jason Levesque, Auburn mayor

Professional: While we have done a lot over the past couple years to decrease red tape and seen huge increases in housing and business growth because of those reforms, there are still more barriers to reduce so people and businesses can recognize opportunities and maximize their potential. In other words, our belief should be in people — not government — to make Auburn even greater than it is today.
Personal: I need to work on eating more vegetables and see what the inside of a gym looks like.

File photo / Tim Greenway

Van Sharma

Van Sharma, Rupee Beer co-founder and a Mainebiz 40 under 40 honoree

Personal: In 2023 it's all about taking more time to enjoy the ride and be more present in everything I do.
Professional: Helping build out a team at Rupee of people who can help us execute our mission as we grow three times in size over the next 12 months.

File Photo / Tim Greenway

Sumit Sharma

Sumit Sharma, Rupee Beer co-founder and a Mainebiz 40 under 40 honoree

Personal: Spending more time in nature and making time for my hobbies, such as traveling more.
Professional: Continue our mission to bring Indian craft beer to the world and expand into more international markets and regions of America.

Photo / Heidi Kirn

Cherie Scott

Cherie Scott, Creator and founder of Mumbai to Maine

Personal: Self-care and simplification of my calendar. I want to see more white space on it. As a full-time working mom of two, my goal is to be fiercely protective of my personal and professional calendar, so I can be mindfully present for my young and busy family.
Professional: Expanding Mumbai to Maine’s simmer sauce distribution across 22,000 specialty stores in the USA. Focusing on expanding and deepening my engagement with the Mumbai to Maine community.

File photo / Dream Local Digital

Shannon Kinney

Shannon Kinney, founder and client success officer, Dream Local Digital, and a 2013 Mainebiz Woman to Watch honoree

Professional: This year I need to become a content creation machine — whether I feel silly or not. We've got so many new campaigns coming, and quickly, I have to start getting myself out there more.
Personal: This year, I need to make the Stephen Covey adage that "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Running a business, plus selling like I do, means you can get pulled in a dozen different directions a day. This year, as Dream Local Digital is focused on acceleration and growth, I need to keep my focus tight on what fuels that.

Hussein Adan, founder of Cleaners Joy

File Photo / Olympia Demetropoulos

Hussein Adan decided to collaborate with Cleaning for a Reason as a way to give back to the community and support those facing challenging circumstances.

Professional: To ensure that my business runs smoothly, I want to hire and retain more good employees. This will decrease churn rate and create an environment in which everyone feels respected and welcome while also working cohesively together as a unit.
Personal: To ensure that I'm taking better care of myself in the new year, the goal is simple: delegate more. That way, I'll be able to make time for activities like going to the gym, meditating more often and getting proper rest.

Martin Grohman, executive director, E2Tech

File photo

Martin Grohman

Professional: Staff and board agree that we can and should grow E2Tech membership to 400 Maine companies dedicated to growing Maine's energy, environmental and sustainability economy. We're currently at 335. We were at 200 just a couple years ago [and] we're excited about the possibilities.
Personal: We don't have any cool E2Tech swag. Younger staff and board agree we should have fun E2Tech socks.

Michael Bourque, president and CEO, MEMIC

File Photo / Tim Greenway

Michael Bourque

Professional: Now that it seems we are firmly in the endemic stages of COVID, I am planning for 2023 to be a year of more outreach and interaction with our policyholders and our trusted insurance agency partners. The pandemic has caused us to miss those important connections and opportunities for feedback. I plan to seek out more of that in 2023.
Personal: I am going to work on reducing my social media consumption. Certainly, I’ll still participate, but I feel like I still spend too much time scrolling Twitter for news and opinions that I really don’t need.

Michelle Anderson, president and CEO,Junior Achievement of Maine and a Mainebiz 40 under 40 honoree

File photo / Tim Greenway

Michelle Anderson

Personal: Get out of my comfort zone and try some new outdoor activities this year. Hoping to do snowshoeing and skiing this winter.
Professional: Work with my team to find new and creative ways to spread awareness for Junior Achievement’s mission so that we can grow our impact across the state, empowering and preparing more K-12th grade students to be workforce ready.

Chris Wolfel, Northeastern University associate vice president, entrepreneurship and venture creation based at the Roux Institute, and a Mainebiz 40 under 40 honoree

File Photo / Tim Greenway

Chris Wolfel

Professional: This year my resolution is to spend less time in meetings. I feel many of us have lived in meetings since the start of the pandemic and that comes at the cost of flexible creative time to come up with the next big idea or innovation.
Personal: While every year I lie a bit to myself and say its going to be read “X” books, this year I'm going to make it simple and fun. Spend more time on the water with family and friends and hopefully get my 3-year-old to love fishing as much as I do.

Becky McKinnell, founder and CEO, iBec Creative and a Mainebiz 40 under 40 honoree

Professional: Create more fun, original experiences that deepen relationships.
Personal: Paint four big canvases.