Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Boston has been a focal point of learning, support, and growth for business leaders for 30 years. As we reminisce about years past and how far we've come, we had a fruitful conversation with Kathleen Doyle, one of our longest-running members.
Doyle is a business tycoon with massive footprints in the real estate and renewable energy industries. In this interview, she shares her memories with the Boston Entrepreneurs' Organization, how the Boston chapter has evolved, and some of the best things membership has afforded her. Read on!
Tell Us About Yourself, Your Career, and Your Company
“I had a commercial real estate brokerage company—the largest woman-owned commercial brokerage in the state of Massachusetts. However, in 2007, I left my real estate practice after 17 years and stayed home with my son, who at the time was going into middle school. I thought it would be really important to be home a little bit more.”
I decided I wanted to stay in real estate but do something a little different, so I founded FireFlower Alternative Energy in 2008. The company focused on three things: wind, solar, and biofuels. We do mostly commercial solar, which is roof-mounted solar on big commercial and industrial buildings.”
In 2017, Doyle also inherited First Taunton Group after her husband passed away after a long battle with melanoma.
What Drew You to EO Boston in the First Place?
“I had a client who was in the early internet field. His name is Brad Feld, and he’s currently one of the gurus in EO and the tech world. Then, he told my partner and me we needed to join this awesome organization. I learned about EO from him and eventually joined.”
When Did You First Join EO Boston?
“I joined in 1995, and I’ve been a member since, which is quite unusual. I never took a break, and I'm definitely the longest-running member in this Boston chapter.”
What Was EO Boston Like When You Joined?
“EO Boston used to be called YEO (Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization) because you had to be under 40 to join. When you turned 40, they’d kick you out, and you had to join what was then WEO. It meant the World Entrepreneurs Organization, but we all called it the “Wrinkled” Entrepreneurs Organization. That was when I was 40. I'm 63 now, so I've been at it for a long time.”
How Active Were You Then and Now at EO Boston?
“I've been a very active member of the EO Boston network. I was Chapter President a few years back and ended up in the board positions as needed. So whatever they tell me to do, I do. Right now, I am a seed moderator for two Forums. I just left one of the two, and I'm a member of another Forum.
I am literally in Forum with about 25% of the chapter. And this is the first time in a number of years that I am not on the board. Generally, I've taken advantage of a lot of aspects of EO beyond the chapter I'm active in. I have been on several EO trips, including to Antarctica.
Also, I went with our Boston board to South Africa a few years back, and we all had a wonderful safari there. So, I've traveled with EO consistently, even when I was really young in the business.”
When Did You Become Chapter President, and What Was That Experience Like for You?
“I was the President a few years back, and it was really amazing. I have a lot of respect for chapter leadership and tried to remind everyone during my term that this is a volunteer-led organization. So we pay our dues, and then we work for free for the organization for years at a time.
The lesson I learned while I was the President is that leading a group of volunteers is different from leading a company. Volunteers have a lot of other priorities, so many different methods need to be employed to help volunteer leaders get things done.”
For How Long Were You a Chapter President?
At that time, until just this year, the Chapter President's terms were one year. I'm grateful to Mike Fabbiano that he stepped up as the first two-year term President because you could be more effective in two years than in one.”
How Has EO Boston Evolved Over Time?
“As a chapter, for many years, EO Boston was in line with the rest of EO (Global), and we had about 12% women members until a few years ago. By design, we went out and tried to become a more diverse membership organization. We now have about 22-26% women in EO Boston. I’m a big proponent of the MyEO Women Group, which includes women from all over the globe.”
Do You Have Any Interesting Stories, Highlights, or Insights Regarding EO Boston Over The Years?
“A few years ago, I went to Barcelona with 135 women from across the world, and everybody wore their red dress and went out en masse to the city in the evening. We had a number of once-in-a-lifetime experiences together.
Also, I'm grateful for the outpouring of support from my fellow chapter-mates and EO members from across the world when I was going through a really awful time when my husband and I were fighting his cancer.
For me, the most valuable thing is that we share experiences. People aren’t giving me advice about what I should or shouldn’t do when something comes up—they’re telling me, ‘When I faced that, here’s what I did and how it turned out.’”
Doyle cites three things EO Boston has done for her:
Helped her grow her businesses faster than she would have without all that experience shared.
Helped her have the confidence to ask for more money than she thought she needed.
Helped her to hire and fire people in her organization more quickly.
“I’m a living, breathing example of the accretion of wisdom that comes from being surrounded by so many smart, passionate people. Just put them in a room together, and magic happens.”
Are There Any Special Happenings for EO Boston’s 30th Anniversary This Year?
“We've got an amazing learning chair this year in Jeff Plakans. The Executive Masterclass we just had was one of the most valuable—business-wise and personally—learning days I’ve spent with EO in a long time. He has this really aggressive and exciting calendar of events for us.”
Where Do You See the Chapter and the Entrepreneurs’ Network Heading?
Kathy Doyle looks forward to becoming a more welcoming chapter, placing people in Forums differently, putting new people on the board, etc. She credits member Wendy Pease for her help revamping the Forum placement system to make it more welcoming.
“While I was President, I suggested maybe she should be on the board so she could help fix that, and she agreed. We implemented a new way to place people in Forums that were really radical to the people who've been in for a long time. The new way seems to be more welcoming and more successful. So I'm very grateful that we made that move a bunch of years ago.”
Is There Anything Else You’d Like to Share?
“I'm really grateful to have been here for all but one of those years.”
Join EO Boston and Network With Kathleen Doyle
Kathleen Doyle is among the numerous experienced minds who are members of the EO Boston entrepreneurs network. While you can excel as a business owner on your own, our entrepreneur organization helps you go far, riding on the experiences of seasoned business leaders like Doyle.
If you want to network with them and make the most of your entrepreneurship journey, take advantage of our 30th-anniversary celebration to join the network. Get started by checking our membership qualification requirements here!
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