Friday, Jan. 22 — Thirty pounds of potatoes and a cow are the real-life beginnings of Next Monday, an organization that offers coaching, peer groups, and events to connect and inspire a life with no regrets. The company, based in St. Cloud, Minn., also offersEntrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) Traction and strategic planning consultation.

On Thursday, Jan. 21, Next Monday Founder Michelle Pape announced the company’s new partner and future owner, Becky Estby. Estby, a 30-year business leader and human resources professional, will immediately begin the ownership transition with the goal to resume sole leadership of Next Monday in June 2023. 

“It was important to find someone who loves serving women, has a coaching background, understands business, and has the drive to grow Next Monday,” explains Pape. “Becky is the ideal successor because she embodies every characteristic and experience I imagined for the future leader of Next Monday.” Estby and Pape have known each other for nearly nine years, as Estby is a founding member of a Next Monday Executive Peer Group.    

Meeting the needs of professional women

Pape started Next Monday in 2004 and eventually obtained coaching training through Coaches Training Institute and began to offer leadership coaching for area executives and teams. In 2013, she started Executive Peer Groups (EPG), membership-based programming with 8-12 women per group who meet monthly for connection, mentorship, networking, business consultation, and personal growth. There are currently four EPGs with 40 women from the St. Cloud region. 

“If we truly care about the well-being of our team members, we shouldn’t only support something like EPG membership, but encourage it,” says Jason Hallonquist, CFP®, CEO and Managing Director of AIS Planning. “I’m just thankful there is a program like EPG out there, as I know it’s been a meaningful experience for leadership and employees of our company.” 

Since the founding of Next Monday, the response to leadership and coaching resources for women has been so successful that the company expanded their programming to serve women at all phases of their careers and with varied levels of time commitment. My Big Life is a journey of personal self-awareness, Lunch, Learn, & Network (LLN) features keynote speakers from different business backgrounds, and The Women of Influence Summit is a one-day experience featuring inspiration, stories, and practical tools from local women. The Summit began in 2015 and grew to more than 570 attendees in 2019. Learn more about Next Monday’s coaching services and events. 

Andy Budish, general counsel at Blattner Company, shares, “Next Monday’s events, like The Women of Influence Summit, connect women in the community, inspire, and provide action-oriented information. The women on my team who have attended The Women of Influence Summit come back energized and excited to take on new challenges at work and in life.”

New opportunities for Pape and Estby 

In late 2019, Pape began the journey to identify a successor with plans to spend more time with her husband, Dieter Pape, and their son Dawson. After her own career transition in 2020, Estby was ready for the opportunity. 

“I have a passion for helping individuals be the best that they can be, whatever that may look like,” says Estby. An extensive professional background helping companies develop and invest in their employees combined with a lifelong dream to own a business, is the ideal combination for the ownership succession of Next Monday. She is eager to support her connections in the St. Cloud region, as well as the Minneapolis business communities. 

Estby and Pape will spend the next 24 months connecting with clients, allowing for a meaningful and confidential transition of relationships, which is core to the company’s mission. 

While the core business of Next Monday will remain in the St. Cloud area, there are plans to expand to the Minneapolis market. Estby recently became the first Certified Aperio Guide™ for Leadership Journeys, a program Estby and Pape experienced together in 2020. Estby will hold a virtual Becoming a Leader Worth* Following Event on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. The event is open to men and women. 

 A sack of potatoes and a cow

The original concept for Next Monday was a weight loss company, and the 30 pounds of potatoes traveled with Pape to various meetings representing her personal weight loss journey and a goal to share this experience with others. As Pape explains, “One rarely starts a diet on Friday or Saturday, but ‘next Monday.” The weight loss concept didn’t stick, and the company transitioned as Pape studied to be a professional coach.

And the cow? After college (graduating with a teaching degree), Estby was working temporary jobs in a corporate setting when her dad bought a cow from the CEO of a consulting firm. He called the CEO and told him he should hire her, and he did. This began Estby’s journey working in business, and she hasn’t looked back since. 

Next Monday offers individual coaching, peer groups, and events to help connect and inspire a life with no regrets. The company is a champion for connecting leaders, particularly women, who support, challenge, and encourage each other. We have served more than 100 executive women in peer groups and thousands of women through special events. The company was founded in St. Cloud, Minn. and continues with a focus on this flagship region while new programs and offerings will extend to the Minneapolis and St. Paul business communities. Next Monday was launched in 2004 by Michelle Pape, and Becky Estby became a partner and future owner in January 2021. 

Interested in learning about coaching and mentoring opportunities with Next Monday? Let’s connect.