Celebrating 20 Years of Silver Business Solutions
At the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the power of community is reflected in the stories of its members – stories of grit, vision, and meaningful contribution. This year, Christine Silver, founder of Silver Business Solutions, celebrates 20 years of guiding organizations toward practical, people-centered leadership.
With openness and grace, Silver has spent two decades equipping leaders with the tools to navigate difficult conversations, strengthen teams, and thrive through change. In a recent conversation with The Bottom Line, Silver reflected on the inspiration behind her business, the challenges and changes of the past two decades, and what’s next for Silver Business Solutions.
Looking back to when you founded Silver Business Solutions 20 years ago, what inspired you to start the business – and what need were you hoping to meet in the community?
Silver Business Solutions was founded because of two events: my Human Resources role and a serendipitous meeting.
I had reached a high point in my Human Resources career as the Director of HR for a small electronic music company in Scotts Valley, California. I loved the people – engineers and musicians – and the company itself. Training and development, employee relations, recruiting and hiring, and organizational development were exciting and satisfying. However, some critical parts of the role were frustrating: compliance, compensation and benefits, and policy development. I wondered: is there a way to only do what I liked about the job?
Just about the time I asked this question, I saw a consultant in action (Marty Brounstein, The Practical Solutions Group) as he trained a group of managers in practical skills. I thought, “That’s it! Right there, that’s what I want to do.” I saw the possibility of developing leaders in ways that would positively impact employee relations and reduce risk. This would be good for people, for organizations, and for me. A few steps later, I had a role as Training and Development Manager for the parent company and hired the consultant to teach me his stuff. I built my skills and soon went solo with his help.
“I’m proud of my ability to run a solo practice, adapt to change, and continue to impact people locally and beyond. The Chamber has offered me opportunities to get involved, to network, and to meet people in ways I’ve often avoided.“
– Christine Silver, Silver Business Solutions
Over two decades, your industry has probably seen some evolution. What are some of the most significant changes you’ve seen, and how has your business adapted through those transitions?
Over the course of two decades, my business has had to adapt to two major changes: technology and the pandemic.
When I first started out, every service, from group workshops to individual coaching, was delivered live and in person. In the first decade alone, I drove 250,000 miles. Clients were skeptical any time I suggested a phone call or Skype for some services. Slowly, people started to warm to the idea – some even came to love the phone calls, calling them “a confessional booth.”
Then, the pandemic changed everything. Live workshops and meetings were cancelled. Zoom/Teams suddenly became the venue of choice. This worked great for individual consultations and coaching, but the challenge for me has been adapting to remote training. My strength is engaging people in hands-on – experiential group learning in a live setting. I’ve been able to adapt to video training by presenting single-topic workshops in short bursts, paired with individual coaching. These days, I’m back to doing live group training for some clients.
Silver Business Solutions has supported a wide range of clients. What makes your approach unique, and what do you think keeps clients coming back year after year?
My approach is unique because I’m down to earth and practical. My clients tell me they appreciate my straight talk and realistic approach. In some organizations, things sometimes become unnecessarily complicated, like performance management and goal setting. When I set goals with people, I ask what they’re on the hook for, what does good look like, how will you know you accomplished it, and who gets to decide if it was good. An Executive Director recently asked me, “You mean, we can just speak like real people in these goals?” Yup.
Christine Silver (second from right) as part of a panel at the Springfield Chamber’s 2023 Leadership Summit.
What does this 20-year milestone mean to you personally, and what do you feel it says about your work with local businesses?
This big anniversary tickles me because the business and I have survived. The business was founded in 2005, and I was still fairly new at it when the 2008 downturn came, but I got through it. I had successes and face-plants along the way. Feeling well-established by 2015, and ready to broaden my reach, I relocated across the country. Alas, it was not a good move and a couple years later I found my way to Lane County. Then the pandemic hit.
Before I started the business, I made a public presentation on the topic of tenacity. At the time, I was racing in triathlons (swim, bike, run) and I learned to swim at age 40 so I could do this. I think this tenacity is what kept the business on its feet despite the obstacles, self-imposed and otherwise. I’m proud of my ability to run a solo practice, adapt to change, and continue to impact people locally and beyond.
How has being a member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce contributed to your growth or helped you stay connected to the local business ecosystem?
The Springfield Chamber of Commerce has been fabulous in helping me make connections. I love my work and can talk about management skills and difficult conversations all day, but talking about myself and promoting the business have been more challenging for me. The Chamber has offered me opportunities to get involved, to network, and to meet people in ways I’ve often avoided. Greeters has been a great place to try out taglines and explain my business clearly. As a solo practitioner, it’s easy to get out of the groove of working in groups (vs. leading the group), so I’m grateful for the opportunities to work with the Ambassadors, Essential Skills Steering Committee, the Fun Committee, and more. As much as I Iove the stage, I tend toward introversion, and no one is going to get to know me if I’m hiding out in my office.
Silver participates as a Chamber Ambassador, as seen above celebrating ribbon cuttings for new Chamber members.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Silver Business Solutions? Are there new goals, services, or projects you’re excited to pursue in the coming years?
I’ve just completed a refresh and rebranding, so now it’s getting the word out and continuing to make connections. I’m writing a book and will keep looking for ways to show people that it’s possible to speak truthfully and speak well, at work and beyond.
More about Silver Business Solutions
Performance management doesn’t have to be a headache, or a never-ending to-do list. Christine Silver’s coaching and training help your managers actually lead, without the guesswork. They cover the essentials: setting goals that make sense, giving feedback that actually helps, and writing performance reviews that don’t blindside anyone. Their approach is practical, realistic, and custom-fit to you – because off-the-shelf solutions don’t work when real people are involved. Find out more at https://silverbusinesssolutions.com/
