WOMEN IN BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

By Cathryn Sprynczynatyk

For our fourth Women in Business issue, we decided to do something special. We invited current and former members of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC Board of Directors to participate in an in-person roundtable to reflect on being female leaders in the business community.

CHRISTINE NELSON, BISMARCK MANDAN CHAMBER EDC: WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

AMBER LARSON, BARTLETT & WEST: Some people are inherently hard workers or just driven. In addition, for me it’s a matter of learning. If I’m not challenging myself or growing in some way, then it’s not as interesting to me.

BECKY MATTHEWS, BURLEIGH COUNTY

COMMISSIONER: I have reassessed in the last year and a half what motivates me — pairing my life down to what I can still do. It is using what I have experienced to help others. I was a stay-at-home-mom for 14 years after my children were born — I had a preemie and a child born with a birth defect... I was being a voice on boards for children who access Early Intervention services... That ran later into having soccer kids. There were kids (on the team) who were refugees or New Americans. I was a go-between when the refugee resettlement issue came up in Burleigh County, and I decided to run for office. It has always been about using my story to shed light on those issues — helping to demystify the political and policy world. A lot of people don’t understand you can just show up at the Capitol and testify, how to follow a bill, how to contact your legislator, how to write a letter to the editor, how to contact your County Commission or apply to be on a board. We did not have one woman apply to be on any of the county boards last year.

HEATHER JONES, CITY AIR MECHANICAL: What motivates me in business is my team. We’ve got great people. We motivate and challenge each other. We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned business. Statistically, less than 3 percent make it beyond the third (generation). I’m already on borrowed time. My motivation is to leave something stable and sustainable for the next generation. We have 130 employees in western North Dakota. That’s 130 other families sending their kids to high school and college. That’s a big responsibility that I take very seriously.

MOLLY HERRINGTON, STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA: One of the key things that motivates me is seeing what is — and understanding that — and then encouraging and getting a team to getting to what could be. Where we are is good. Where we could be is great.

LEE PIERCE, ICON ARCHITECTS: Being competitive, even if it’s just with yourself. Knowing you can be better, you can make things around you better. And my kids. I want them to see that hard work pays off.

CHRISTINE NELSON: IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO YOURSELF BACK WHEN YOU WERE STARTING YOUR CAREER, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?

MARNIE BUTCHER PIEHL, AARP NORTH DAKOTA: I think it is to have faith in your worth and the work that you do — your worth and your work... One of the joys of my life right now is my eldest son who just graduated college in the same profession. We have the best conversations about these kinds of things... (My advice) would be to have confidence in your worth and your work.

BRENDA NAGEL, UNIVERSITY OF MARY: Give myself some grace. It’s just who we are hard-wired to be as moms and as professionals. Sometimes we are so busy driving, driving, driving. And then we don’t stop to say, “Wow, you really knocked that out of the park, and you don’t need to be so hard on yourself.” I say this a lot to my two daughters. Give yourself a little bit of grace and allow yourself to stumble a little bit. I think the biggest lessons I have learned have come from skinning my knees a little bit... Allowing ourselves as women and as leaders to say at the end of the week, “Some things didn’t go that great, but a lot of things went really, really well. And those are the things I’m going to focus on.”

ANDREA BIRST, GLANCE SPA & SALON: I was 26-yearsold and didn’t really know anything. My advice to myself would be to start by finding a support system. Seek out the mentors who can help you and make things a bit easier. Your support system could be a proper attorney, a bank that you trust, a really solid accountant, or people in our community. Meeting those people who can help you along the way is huge.

WENDY VAN DUYNE, STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES:

Sometimes the benefit is not knowing what you don’t know, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. You just jump in with both feet. Confidence is always a factor, no matter how far you get into your career. As women, nine times out of 10, we’re the minority voice at the table. Inherently that brings a selfdoubt... Reconciling that fact and constantly recognizing that you have a valuable perspective to add... You’re at the table, and you have a chance to share your perspective, which is important. I would say to 25-year-old Wendy, “Don’t doubt your self-worth.” Admittedly, I still have to remind myself of this from time to time.

AMBER LARSON: As women leaders, it becomes hard. You have to play a man’s game. You can’t be vulnerable. I have always been logic first, emotions second. That’s who I am, and that worked well for me. What I have learned in the last couple of years is that vulnerability is also a superpower. That was a shocker to me to realize that people around me can’t trust me if they don’t know the whole me. If there is something huge happening with me personally, and I don’t share that... how can my team or people in the community trust me?

CHRISTINE NELSON: WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IN THE WORKPLACE, AND I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

AMBER LARSON: Yes, there is always this pressure to be your professional self, which is bottled up and strong and pulled together. And then there is your personal self which is mothering and nurturing and caring, and never shall the two collide. That’s not a strong or healthy way to be.

WENDY VAN DUYNE: You are never going to please everybody 100 percent of the time. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t — so why not show up and be your authentic self? It’s hard though. As high-achieving individuals — which I count everybody at this table to be — it can be difficult to feel like you are letting somebody down.

CHRISTINE NELSON: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER WOMEN LOOKING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN YOUR FIELD?

HEATHER JONES: Being leaders in your organization, the culture and tone you set is so important. I can’t pretend to be somebody I’m not for very long. It’s suffocating. If people come in and they don’t vibe with that kind of culture, the team that you build has to be on that same level. We come every day our whole selves, even if we’re too much. And it’s okay to tell me that I’m too much.

ANDREA BIRST: I believe leaders and business owners should take time to focus on their teams to grow and strengthen them. We are all different, so let’s figure out how to communicate with each other. I feel like it has become my full-time job — which I love. It’s important, because if we talk about staff retention and businesses that are going to thrive... understanding people’s differences so that we can all succeed and have fun working together is super important.

BRENDA NAGEL: Whether we’re moms or not, we are all part of a family unit. Most days we make it look so seamless, but we get home and think, “How the heck did we make that happen? Wow, that was a full-on miracle.” Miracles happen every day. Trying to teach the younger generation the proverbial “You can have it all.” You can be a mom, and you can be at every soccer tournament and every event. But you can also be at every work event that you need to be at. It’s about prioritizing. We also shouldn’t be afraid to show vulnerability as it makes us human. We can’t just act like this stoic person and then get in our vehicles and sob like crybabies because we don’t allow ourselves to have any sort of emotion. We have to learn how to control it and to let it out at the right times.

ANDREA BIRST: That’s the challenge — finding the right times and giving yourself grace.

BECKY MATTHEWS: I call that emotionally vomiting.

LEE PIERCE: I think that helps build your team... Let’s go sit in the boardroom and let you emotionally vomit. Sometimes people just need to do that, and then they can breathe and move on. That helps build your team and make them stronger.

CHRISTINE NELSON: WHAT’S THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN IN YOUR CAREER?

WENDY VAN DUYNE: Moving to Bismarck... I found myself in the middle of a boardroom back in 2013 four-months pregnant with our second child. It was at the height of the oil boom, and we needed engineers in North Dakota. Based on a gut feeling, I raised my hand on behalf of both (my husband and me) which was hard because Mike was not in that room with me. Let’s just say I spent the night on the couch... Moving up here in December 2014 with a 16-month-old and a 3-year-old and starting over — rebuilding our careers and not having any family support here — I look back and I don’t know how we did that. Somehow, we made it work. Yes, it was a big risk, but oh my gosh what a big payoff... It can be scary taking big risks like that — raising your hand without having a lot of time to process (that decision). Take those risks and believe in your heart that it’s going to work out. And even if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to say yes.

CHRISTINE NELSON: THAT’S A BIG LEAP.

AMBER LARSON: Wendy, both you and your husband Mike have integrated amazingly (in the community). For you to move for that opportunity is really bold... It’s hard to recognize an opportunity. I know I have had times when I think, “Oh, I missed that (opportunity). Can I go back and have a do-over?”

WENDY VAN DUYNE: Can I ask you a question in return, Amber? How do you know that you should have taken on a risk in hindsight?

AMBER LARSON: This goes back to what Andrea said — finding the right people. When I started my career, I had a great mentor... He would give me a look in a meeting that said, “This is your moment. You’re at the table, this is your turn to speak up.” I remember once when I missed one of them. Months later, I called up a work colleague and said, “I missed that (opportunity). If it comes up again, I want it.”

BECKY MATTHEWS: Sometimes I think the risk is also a “No.” My first child was a preemie when we were moving here. Sending him to day care was not the safest option, so I decided to home with him. We soon had a second child who also needed some medical care. I was put in the position of being in Occupational Therapy, letting my license go, and being a mom. I read a book about professionalizing motherhood. I had co-workers over for coffee every week. I was always a part of different boards. I didn’t just sit in my home. I always had something outside of that to keep growing and changing.

MOLLY HERRINGTON: I don’t believe you can have it all. I believe you can have different parts in different seasons... I love being a professional. I love working and advancing issues and topics. I was also really good at being single. My biggest risk was agreeing to date my now-husband and marrying this man with two kids... That one risk changed my entire course. Now, I have two amazing bonus sons. We have a strong relationship. I would have missed all of that if I had said “No.” I have a very supportive husband who says, “Yes, go do your career thing. Go do your community thing. I’m going to be there, and I’m going to join in.” When Jim asked my dad if he could marry me, (dad) said, “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?” ... I have had to work really hard to “have it all” — but maybe at different times.

CHRISTINE NELSON: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT?

LEE PIERCE: Hopefully, I haven’t done it yet. Getting both Bismarck elementary schools and both Mandan schools as projects within a short amount of time was very exciting and frightening all at once. I didn’t know until later that I was a key part of that. “We chose you.” That puts pressure on you, but that was professionally an awakening in a fantastic way.

BRENDA NAGEL: I didn’t go to college in the traditional way... I just started working. Someone at U.S. Healthcare said, “Brenda, you’re really great at what you do but you’re never going to go further unless you finish your degree.” I remember thinking, “I don’t think I can do that, because I’m a mom and I need to work.” It was one of the craziest times in my life. I had two little girls, and I was trying to complete my bachelor’s degree while working full-time. That was a huge accomplishment. It catapulted me into corporate America. I could do the job before, but I wouldn’t be considered for roles because I didn’t have the degree... After early retirement from Aetna I came to University of Mary and to work with somebody shoulder-to-shoulder like Sr. Thomas Welder, that is an accomplishment.

BECKY MATTHEWS: A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with cancer — and it is not curable. I get remission. Right now, I am in remission. I live by every 6-months of what my next treatment is. I have two to three years of maintenance (treatments). When you say, “I hope my biggest accomplishment is yet to come,” mine might have already been... Just turning 49, I look at a legacy already. What is the legacy I will leave for my children and as a community leader? More than a being a County Commissioner, I am a community leader... Last year when I was sicker than (expletive), I was at almost every commission meeting. I was bald. I could not drive myself. I was only not there when I had my stem cell transplant done at Mayo Clinic or when I was in the hospital... I still outworked many of those commissioners when I was sicker than (expletive). I came back, I feel better, and I fought to get Chair of the Commission... I have to be very strategic with my energy right now.

CHRISTINE NELSON: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED IN YOUR CAREER PATH?

ANDREA BIRST: My biggest challenge 7-years-ago was that we didn’t have any money. Glance was struggling and about to close. That’s when I knew I wasn’t ready to give up, and I had to dig deep and turn this around. My biggest challenge turned into my biggest success, and that was completely changing my business into a team model that we love and use now.

MARNIE BUTCHER PIEHL: My mom, Dina Butcher, has a great saying, “Always leave while you’re still having fun...” My greatest challenge has been the leaving and knowing when it’s time to go, or having to go and making friends with that. In my early 30s, I had a conflict with a colleague. I went into my boss and said, “That’s it. It’s her or me.” She said, “We’ll really miss you.” We had a 1-year-old child, losing half our family income was pretty scary. Knowing when it’s time to leave, getting through the fear of that, and finding new life in what’s next is the challenge.

BRENDA NAGEL: We should always think about what our legacy will be. “When you drive down the hill from University of Mary that very last time, what do you hope people will remember about your work?” ... When I left Aetna after 25 years, I left at the top of my game. I left while I was still having fun.

Knutson Realty

Tell us about yourself and your role within your business.

A: I’m the owner of Knutson Companies, a real estate development and brokerage company. I grew up in Bismarck and moved to Fargo for nearly 10 years where I attended NDSU and worked at Kilbourne Group, a real estate development company. I returned to Bismarck in late 2018 to launch my business while also getting involved in other facets of our family real estate holdings. I’m married with two young children and couldn’t imagine a better place to be running a business and raising a family.

Briefly tell us the history behind Knutson Realty and how you got started.

A: My parents have been involved in the real estate business for over 40 years, it is a sector I have been familiar with for most of my life. My time working with Kilbourne Group was extremely helpful in learning other components related to real estate development, sales, and acquisitions. It was always my plan to return to Bismarck to raise a family and assist in the family real estate business. The primary focus of creating the company was for real estate brokerage and development services which have continued to grow as primary roles of the company.

Member Since 2019

How has the growth of Bismarck-Mandan impacted Knutson Realty?

A: Our communities stable and steady growth has been very positive for the work we do. The 2010 to 2020 Census showed over 21% growth in both Burleigh and Morton Counties. Other areas of the state that we do work in have also had similar growth rates which is aiding in our company’s future growth plans here locally to better serve all of the areas we do work in. I anticipate seeing continued healthy growth in our community and regularly see examples of individuals and families moving back after pursuing education, life, and work experience elsewhere realizing North Dakota is the place they want to return to. The community offers a great qualify of life that is hard to match elsewhere so we expect an even greater frequency in people returning here to live for good.

What trends are taking place in your industry?

A: On the residential front we are seeing an increase of empty nesters looking to downsize the square footage of their homes often with a preference for a patio home with no stairs. Walkout homes remain popular for families that desire a multi-story home with more square footage where walkout basements are both economical and substantially improve the feel of the lower level of a home. Another trend is neighborhood community spaces, and we continue to design and invest more into providing these spaces in our new residential developments. In Elk Ridge our first phase included a 5.4-acre park with the second phase including a neighborhood elementary school called Elk Ridge Elementary. Our newest master planned development- Summit Point at Hawktree will include a multi-million-dollar community center dedicated to residents that will include workout, gathering and work spaces. Summit Point will provide year-round amenities including a pool and oversized patio for summertime and a sledding hill for winter activities. The community center at Summit Point will be located on a lot over 5 acres in size that overlooks Hawktree Golf Course.

In commercial real estate we believe a shift is occurring to create more efficient sites for new construction to lower the barrier of entry for businesses looking to make the leap into owning their own commercial building. Business owners are showing more interest in generating their own equity in owning versus other available options to them in the market. This coming year we are launching Boden Office Park which is designed to help meet the needs of small business owners who want to build an efficient custom building for their business with building sizes that will likely range from 1,200 to 5,000+ square feet.

Have there been any monumental changes within your industry that you’ve had to deal with?

A: Real estate is constantly changing, and market trends can change fast making it vital to constantly keep a pulse on economic factors and the needs of our future customers. Real estate projects typically take a couple of years or more to go from concept to completion, so we work very hard to be ahead of the curve on industry changes. The residential real estate market exploded shortly after the onset of the Pandemic which led to rapid increases on material costs and stress added to our areas labor capacity. We saw a cooling to the residential sector around the middle of 2022 but believe this will be a healthy adjustment long term as already we are seeing supply chain improvement and downward trends for a multitude of costs. I expect our area to settle back into a more sustained amount of new construction over the next few years with lower costs supporting new construction in 2023 and a more stable interest rate environment further supporting new construction in 2024 and beyond.

What does the future Knutson Realty look like and the industry as a whole look like to you?

A: Knutson Companies is currently designing a new office headquarters in Bismarck located in our Boden Office Park project and plan to break ground on this project in early 2023. This new headquarters will provide us with enough room to more than quadruple the size of our team over the next decade.

The future of the company will continue to evolve as we continue to develop real estate projects that are best meeting the needs for consumers in our market. We are bullish on our community and North Dakota as a whole and are grateful to have a role in shaping our community through our involvement in the real estate market now and in the years ahead.

Knutson Realty became a member in 2019, why do you continue to renew?

A: Joining our Chamber EDC was one of the first things I did after forming the company. We are fortunate to have such a strong team at the Chamber EDC along with the robust membership base that represents every aspect of our economy. It is extremely important for the business community to continue to support the efforts of the Chamber EDC by being members and getting involved in some fashion. Right now the state legislature is in session and I am grateful for the role the Chamber EDC has in representing our community on a number of important issues that affect all of us.

What should other Chamber EDC members know about Knutson Realty that may assist them?

A: We are a company that is dedicated to improving our community through our real estate development efforts. One of our favorite components in the work that we do is understanding the bigger picture of how our community operates and ways we can partner with others as collaboration typically always yields better solutions and products. We want to continue to learn from other residents and companies so we can help understand ways to improve the community through our real estate efforts. You can learn more about active projects we have going on now on our website at www. knutsondevelopment.com and you will also find contact information on the website should you ever need to contact us for anything.

Be a part of Bismarck-Mandan’s premier event where the Chamber EDC will celebrate our accomplishments of 2022, moving up and onward! We will also give our members a look toward what the coming year will bring to the Bismarck-Mandan business community. This prestigious evening is full of fun, socializing, awards, and recognition. Come and enjoy spending the evening with over 800 of your fellow Chamber EDC Members. It’s a night to remember!

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