Women in Business 2014

Women TWO-THOUSAND FOURTEEN

BETH SCHUPP - fair hills resort

IN Business

BRENDA EIDENSCHINK - B&M Electric

NIKKI CAULFIELD - Skirting the rules

SANDY LIA - ecumen

A special section saluting area women for their contributions to the lakes area community.

SHERRI HANSON - Vergas State Bank

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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A real family business Schupp takes over running Fair Hills Resort from her parents — STORY BY VICKI GERDES — Though Beth Kaldahl Schupp was born in Detroit Lakes and raised at Fair Hills Resort, becoming the resort’s general manager was not something she envisioned after graduating from high school and later, from her parents’ alma mater, Concordia College.

In fact, she and her husband Dan — whom she met when he was a guest at Fair Hills — moved to the Twin Cities in 1981, so he could attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota.

“He got both his medical degree and Ph.D. at the U of M,” Beth says. “Then we moved to Iowa for his first job.

“In the meantime, we had six kids,” she laughed.

Eventually, however, the Schupps ended up back in Detroit Lakes, and back at the family’s resort on Pelican Lake.

“We bought the resort from my parents (Dave and Barb Kaldahl) in 2008,” Beth said.

“Originally I was just going to work part-time

Beth Kaldahl Schupp is the general manager at the beautiful Fair HIlls Resort, owned by the Kaldahl family since 1926.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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Fair Hills Resort is located on Pelican Lake, and their 55-foot pontoon boat (shown in background), known as the Big Pelican, gives Schupp’s guests relaxing trips around the lake during the summer months. The resort is open from May through September. here,” she added. “But the circumstances presented themselves that it seemed like a good idea, and my parents were open to it, so…”

Fair Hills Resort encompasses 93 cabins as well as the Pavilion and main lobby, which includes a snack bar and gift shop. There are also a swimming pool and hot tub, tennis and volleyball courts, basketball hoops and much more.

And of course, there is the lake itself, where a wide variety of water sports await guests.

Yes, there are a plethora of activities available at Fair Hills, from fishing, swimming and golf — at the resort’s own Wildflower Golf Course, which is also open to the public — to family campfires, volleyball and tennis.

“It’s wild and crazy and fun, but it’s all optional,” says Beth. “You can come and try everything, or come and do nothing — it’s your vacation.”

And of course, there’s the food — guests at Fair Hills are treated to three meals a day, included as part of their stay.

“No one has to go to the grocery store, cook or clean up after meals,” she said. “There are a lot of people who park their car when they get here and don’t look at it again until

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

they have to pack up to leave.”

One of the resort’s longest-standing traditions is the Tuesday night smorgasbord and Hootenanny — an evening of live musical entertainment put on by the resort’s staff, Beth said. “That’s (the Hootenanny) one of the things the guests really look forward to each summer.”

“We do have a real musical tradition here,” she added. “We hire the staff here with the idea that they’ll be performing in the Hootenanny.

We also have open mic nights for them (the staff) to perform, and everybody sings in the dining room

so they can make their own costumes,” she said.

Being open for so many years, the resort has become a long-standing tradition for many families.

“I’d say 85 percent of our business is repeat guests,” Beth said.

“We have families that have been coming here for 50 years. A lot of grandparents come here with their kids and grandkids, and even great grandkids. There was one family I talked to that said they had so much fun here growing up that they wanted to see their kids doing the very same things they did.”

“I’d say 85 percent of our business is repeat guests. We have families that have been coming here (to Fair Hills Resort) for 50 years.”

BETH SCHUPP on the last night before they leave.”

The resort even has its own marching band.

“The guests can come and play with us, and there’s a parade,

In fact, Beth said, the resort actually offers a special anniversary deal: “We give them a free week for their 50th year.”

In addition to Fair Hills, the

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Fair Hills Resort includes 93 picturesque cabins as well as a restaurant, gift shop, pools for both kids and adults, a hot tub, tennis and volleyball courts, boat dock, golf course (the Wildflower) and more. Beth Schupp and her husband Dan also own and operate the Five Lakes Resort near Vergas.

Schupps also own and operate Five Lakes Resort, which as the name implies, actually adjoins five different area lakes — “lakes Four, Five, Six, Boot and Lisa,” Beth said.

“We acquired Five Lakes Resort in 1976, from a Minneapolis man who used it as a hunting retreat,” she added.

A rustic retreat with just 10 cabins — the only 10 cabins located on Lake Five — the Five Lakes Resort is “more of a traditional fishing place, where people can do their own cooking,” Beth says.

As such, the cabins come equipped with their own kitchens, though guests are also more than welcome to come dine at Fair Hills’ restaurant.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

About three years ago, the Kaldahls decided to make The Barn at Five Lakes Resort into a wedding venue.

“We have about 20 (weddings) there a year,” Beth said. Because the resort does not include a full kitchen, “all the food is catered from Fair Hills.”

In the winter, they used to move the Fair Hills office into the basement of their own home, but now they simply move it over to Five Lakes.

At the height of the summer season, the two resorts and the golf course employ about 125 people, Beth said.

“My job is basically to hire the right people to make sure every-

thing runs smoothly — or at least appears to run smoothly,” she said with a laugh. “It’s actually very fun. It’s a job where you are around people that are trying their very best to have a wonderful time. So it’s an easy job to love.”

In addition to her work at the two resorts, Beth is also involved with the Damiens, a local philanthropic group, and the Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee.

In addition, she is currently serving as vice president of the Minnesota Resort and Campground Association.

Follow Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporter Vicki Gerdes on Twitter at @VickiLGerdes.

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Big on building trades Eidenschink helps run Lake Region Builders Association — STORY BY NATHAN BOWE — building trades, Brenda Eidenschink she appreciates her of rural Detroit Lakes employees and said stays busy between her finding skilled worktwo jobs — running the ers these days can be business side of B&M difficult.

Electric, the company “It’s extremely she co-owns with her hard to find people,” husband Mike, and she said. Classified serving as part-time ads haven’t been executive officer for the much help, but B&M Lake Region Builders has been fortunate to Association. find good employees She’s been with the through social conBuilders Association tacts. for four years, and The company has executive officer for the been known to hire a past year. likely prospect, and if She’s been co-owner he likes the work and of B&M Electric, Inc., has some affinity for for a lot longer than it, will stick with him that, since they founded while he goes to techthe business in 1991. nical college classes.

Brenda handles the Then he has a job waitpaperwork side of the ing for him when he’s business, while Mike finished with his eduhandles the electrical cation. work.

Mike completed his “We started with just training at what used Mike and me, and have to be called Moorhead now grown to have five Technical College. employees.” Four full “In fact,” Brenda timers and one partsaid, “the tech coltimer who is going to lege did a story on us college for his electrifor one of their books, cian training, she said. since virtually all of The company hanour employees except dles residential and one had gone to that commercial electrical work, both remodeling Brenda Eidenschink is co-owner of B&M Electric and also serves as ex- college.”

It’s important to and new construction. ecutive officer of the Lake Regional Builders Association. support the trades Like many in the

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“We’ve already booked 22 vender booths for the March (Home and Sports) Show...” brenda eidenschink

programs at area trade schools, because – big demand for skilled workers notwithstanding – some of those programs are shutting down for lack of students.

The technical college in Wadena recently closed its plumbing program, for example. “It’s pretty sad to see that,” she said.

“Each year it’s harder and harder to find kids willing to go into building trades,” although they can earn a good living at it, she added.

A big part of Brenda’s duties as executive officer of the Lake Region Builders Association is setting up

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continuing education classes.

Electricians and building contractors have long been required by the state to get 16 hours of continuing education credits every two years. (At B&M Electric, all employees get eight hours a year).

This year for the first time, master plumbers were required to get 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

A plumbing class will be held next month, and classes for electricians and builders are set for January, she said.

The continuing education class-

es, often held at M State in Detroit Lakes, are popular.

“Last January we had 122 people come and do the electrical class,” she said. “It was crowded.”

Her other duties include holding a monthly general membership informational meeting (September through May), and meeting quarterly with the organization’s ninemember board of directors.

“Basically we’re a resource center,” she said. People call asking for the names of reputable tradesmen, and the association keeps its members up to date on the latest code requirements.

“There’s a big one coming through next year for sprinkler systems,” in new homes over 4,500 square feet, she said.

Building contractors need to be aware of the new requirement, which will add several thousand dollars to the cost of a new home, and more than that for rural homes

Tailor-made for business

Nikki Caulfield is ‘Skirting the Rules’ with old fashioned shop — STORY BY PAULA QUAM — Nikki Caulfield knows she has a way of surprising people who walk through her door.

“I’ll hear, ‘What? You’re not old?’” laughed the seamstress who is not much over 30.

A graduate of the Detroit Lakes High School Class of 2000, Caulfield is now the owner of Skirting the Rules, a custom apparel and alter-

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ations shop located in a separate space above Norby’s.

The young entrepreneur opened her shop in January of 2013, and while most young women these days would run away from an old fashioned career field like sewing, Caulfield found herself running towards it.

Dreaming of seaming Nikki Caulfield remembers when she was little how her seamstress grandmother would sew.

“She was always making things, and I remember trying to make Barbie clothes,” she laughed.

Caulfield took the love of sewing with her to college in Duluth, where she worked in the costume

heart woven into the fabrics of the arts, she took a more “sensible” route of employment for several years, running a tutoring center at Rasmussen College in FargoMoorhead and teaching some online classes there.

She still lived in Detroit Lakes, though, and through a creation of her own, called Shakespeare in the Park, Caulfield started up a twoweek theater production to be performed at the City Park bandshell.

The annual event not only provided local residents the joys of watching live Shakespeare productions performed by local actors, but it gave Caulfield a little piece of what she loved again, as she created and built all of the costumes.

Her talents were obvious, and people began to talk.

“They would say things to me like, ‘If you like doing this, why aren’t you doing it?’ but I had so much anxiety about it,” said Caulfield. “What if I wasn’t that good at it?”

But her dreams outweighed her fears, and soon she would be mending, cutting, sewing, measuring, patching, lining and hemming for a living.

Nikki Caulfield has tripled her business in only a year, with most of the growth coming from custom-made dresses, like this unique wedding dress for a woman getting married on Halloween. While she does a lot of alterations and mending, her real love is designing and building custom apparel. shop for the theater there.

“I was home,” she said, a little dreamy-eyed as she remembers the old industrial machines and the seemingly endless supply of fabrics and spools of thread.

“I took every costume class there that was offered,” she said, falling in love with the concept of not just designing costumes and clothes,

but also building them.

And learning the art of costume construction is a rare commodity these days.

“You can tell when you get something in that was designed by somebody who doesn’t know how to sew — it looks good on paper, but it doesn’t quite ever work,” she said.

Although Caulfield found her

Skirting the Rules Caulfield now sits at her dual sewing machines in her small space that looks exactly like one would imagine a charming sewing shop to look like.

But make no mistake, for as small as the space is, the business has grown exponentially.

In addition to the traditional alterations and “fixes” she does for people, Caulfield is seeing the “custom” end of her business boom.

“This September, I tripled my business from last September,” said Caulfield, who also saw her spring prom business double from year to

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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“I love this job because it is both a creative and an intellectual challenge.”

NIKKI CAULFIELD

Nikki Caulfield ‘skirts the rules’ by creating her own unique designs, inspired by each customer. This year, however, Caulfield will also be creating more pieces to be sold at local art/street fairs, as well as having some prom dresses on hand for purchase. year.

More and more people are finding out about the creative talents behind the young seamstress and her ability to whip up a custom wedding dress, prom dress or any kind of fabulous apparel.

Hanging along her decorated walls are unique pieces like a red and black Halloween dress and eloquent, one of a kind evening gowns.

“But what I won’t do is take something from another designer’s picture and copy it,” said Caulfield, who will create a similar style to

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certain dresses, but not copy them.

Her own line of creations has no trouble going on their own.

Caulfield took some of her designs to street fairs this summer to sell, and plans on designing and creating some unique prom dresses to have on hand this year as well.

For the good Caulfield’s talents aren’t just for her own profit, though — her community also reaps the benefits.

She not only continues donat-

ing her time and talents towards Shakespeare in the Park, but she’s created some vintage-looking pieces for the Becker County Historical Society fundraiser.

She also entered the Bras on Broadway fundraiser for breast cancer awareness.

“And the bra I designed was auctioned off at $1,100 — it was the most any bra went for,” she smiled.

In her spare time — a concept Caulfield giggles at — she also coaches cross country skiing and the One Act play at the Detroit Lakes High School.

The busy, busy life of Nikki Caulfield is the way she likes it, even when things get a little “crazy.”

“I get to know so many people doing this,” she said. “I think it’s part of the reason why I love doing this in a small town, my town.”

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A career built on caring for others

Sandy Lia has been with Ecumen-Detroit Lakes for 36 years — STORY BY VICKI GERDES — Though she is actually a North Dakota native, Sandy Lia did spend some time in Detroit Lakes as a child.

“I went to Washington School for a year, and then Callaway School for a year,” she said. “Then we moved to Casselton until my freshman year, when we went to Hawley. I graduated from there.”

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But she never really expected to end up back in Detroit Lakes as an adult, much less make the community her home for 36 years and counting.

It was a rather circuitous route that led her back to the lakes area: After Lia went to Brainerd Community College, majoring in drama, she headed out to parts

west.

“I had a wild hair that I was going to work on a ranch in Tucson, but I ended up moving to Salt Lake City,” she said.

“My older brother was living there, and he wanted me to come live with him for a while. So I worked at the University of Utah’s theater department, where I met

some people who had worked on Broadway. That was fun!

“Then I worked at a sporting goods store, and at a Photo-Mat,” Lia continued. Then I traveled around a little bit. I went to Mexico, the West Coast, Arizona… and then I moved to Denver, where I sold sports cars — Fiats.”

Surrounded by mountains, with endless four-wheeling, hiking and camping opportunities, Lia really enjoyed her years in Denver. But in the late 1970s, she found herself moving back to Minnesota, and eventually, to Detroit Lakes.

“I’ve had a lot of jobs — theater, photography, sporting goods, car sales, nursing assistant,” she said.

But in 1980, Lia found herself coming to work at the same place where she was briefly employed after graduating from high school — Emmanuel Nursing Home.

“I’ve been here ever since,” she said. “I started in the activi-

Sandy Lia shares a smile with a resident at The Cottage, one of the four senior living residences located on the campus of Ecumen-Detroit Lakes. ty department, and while working there I also became the volunteer coordinator. I worked with fundraising also.

“Then I became the activity director, and later I started the Adult Day Services program, from

the research on up. I ran that (program) for over 20 years. I really loved it.”

After a brief stint as housing manager at The Madison, Lia was asked to become the fund development coordinator.

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Sandy Lia sits down for a chat with a group of ladies living at The Cottage during their morning coffee. Lia says she draws daily inspiration from the residents and staff at Ecumen-Detroit Lakes.

“They needed someone to coordinate our annual charity event, so I agreed to that,” she added. “I had a pretty successful event the first time out — so guess who’s had the job ever since?”

Currently, Lia’s job also includes marketing and event planning.

“I just go with the flow,” she said. “My boss (Ecumen-Detroit Lakes administrator Janet Green) calls it being a universal worker.

That’s what she wants all of us to be.

“At Ecumen, we represent the definition of the term ‘teamwork.’

Whatever I’m assigned to do, I give it my best. And I love my job, I do.

“I love working with people. I hope that I’m making a difference, making life a little better for our residents, and I’m pretty confident that I am. My heart’s truly in it, and

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

I’m sincere about that.”

Lia also said that she enjoys the opportunity to work not only with Ecumen’s staff and the residents, but also with the families and children that come to

“I worked with the foster grandparent program, and I worked on a grant to get the adult day center clients and kids together for activities. It’s the best of both worlds.”

“I love working with people. I hope that I’m making a difference, making life a little better for our residents, and I’m pretty confident that I am. My heart’s truly in it, and I’m sincere about that.”

SANDY LIA visit.

“I was one of the first people to buy into the idea of intergenerational interaction,” she said.

When she’s not working on behalf of Ecumen’s residents and staff, Lia can be found volunteering with the Patriot Assistance Dogs

ner of my eye, and I found myself starting to make excuses to go over there,” she said with a smile. “I actually asked him out on our first date. It was at Zorbaz.”

She is also very involved in the lives of her two stepchildren, four grandchildren and one great grandchild — “with another one on the way.”

“And I’m very close with my family, my parents and siblings,” she added.

“They’ve all made my life better,” she said, “and I hope I have somehow made theirs better in return.”

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program, United Way of Becker County, and as a Chamber Ambassador.

“I get to go out into the community and reach out, give back … pay it forward,” she said.

And of course, Sandy is also a devoted wife to her husband of more than 27 years, Andy Lia. “I’m married to a great guy,” she said. “He and my dad are two of the greatest men I’ve ever known.”

In fact, Sandy said, she first met her future husband when she had to go over to the local radio station, KDLM (where he’s been a broadcaster for more than 50 years now), to do some advertising for Emmanuel.

“I saw him in the cor-

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Proud of her small town community

Hanson says she’s more than happy she stayed in Vergas — STORY BY PIPPI MAYFIELD — When it comes to community involvement, Sherri Hanson knows how to get involved in her community.

Born and raised in Vergas, she said that although she never left the small town, she feels very blessed to be a part of the community that gave her her foundation.

“I had a unique opportunity,”

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

she said, reminiscing about growing up in Vergas. He dad owned the local hardware store, and Hanson and her four siblings were all hands-on in the store, learning to work the till, stock shelves and the value customer service.

“We learned customer service there. I remember my dad saying

the customer is always right,” she said.

Looney Days was always a fun memory, as was Christmastime.

The items that didn’t sell at the store would end up at home under the tree for her mother, she said with a laugh.

Growing up, she remembers going to Detroit Lakes and it would

had only been with the bank a few years.

Two teens had stolen a pick-up truck from town on a Monday in February and came back the next morning to rob the bank. As Hanson was returning with the mail that morning, the two men got out of the truck with ski masks on and headed into the bank.

She said at the time she didn’t think twice about the ski masks because it was Minnesota in the dead of winter.

As she stood inside the bank with a sawed off shotgun in her stomach, she said she looked into the teen’s eyes that held the gun and she could tell he was scared, too.

When the teens went to flee the bank, the man whose truck they had stolen the night before saw it parked on the street, Getting into teenager. Though she had plans to take the world by storm when she jumped in and drove banking was younger, like most people do, she’s happy she stayed in her small off. Out of options, the H a n s o n s t a r t e d town and raised her sons with the community service values she grew robbers took off on foot only to be arrested w o r k i n g a t V e r g a s up with. soon after.

State Bank in 1977, Hanson said the kids got about when she was in high school. The bank. owner, Gordon Dahlgren, instilled “I’ve done it all,” she said of one and a half years in prison for community service in his employ- working at various positions in the their crime, and actually made it bank. “It let’s you understand the out of prison before the bank got its ees. money back.

“From the minute you started mechanical part of it.” here, you knew community ser- Small town banks can’t compete The story doesn’t stop there with the big banks so they “have though. Several years later, she was vice,” she said.

She continues to work at the to find what’s unique — that’s cus- working at an auction, checking people’s licenses as they came forbank today, now serving as the tomer service.” assistant vice president. She also One of Hanson’s favorite bank ward and she recognized the name. serves as an insurance agent for the stories to tell is from 1981, when she She looked up and there stood the

be the “biggest adventure.” And that was good because it meant that people “could get everything you needed in Vergas.”

Outside of a few items here and there, she said Vergas still holds its own.

Besides her dad, “my mom is just a rock.”

While her dad, Roger, served in the legislature for 14 years and ran a business, and it was her mom, Dona, at home raising the kids.

“She made a big difference in our lives.”

Which is another reason she’s grateful to live and work in Vergas because she can be close to her mother and check in on her daily.

Community pride and support was a big part of her life from early on, she said — at home and at work.

Sherri Hanson has been working at Vergas State Bank since she was a

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man who had held her up years earlier.

She said he realized who she was too, grabbed his license and walked away.

She said it was a crazy and funny adventure simply because no one got hurt. The story made national headlines at the time, too.

Raising good stewards Does Hanson ever feel the desire to leave town or that she missed out by staying in Vergas?

Everyone feels that in their 20s and 30s, but “I was busy raising children then,” she said with a laugh. Now, people her age are trying to move back to their hometown.

She sees it as a blessing that she got to stay where she grew up, raise her four boys and instill community pride in them as well.

Her four sons are Josh, owner

of Spanky’s Stone Hearth, twins Nathan, who lives in Minneapolis, and Ethan, who is a teacher, and Anthony, who works with the catering portion of Spanky’s, Destination Dining, and is a volunteer firefighter for Vergas.

Since her boys are all established — though she’s still waiting for grandchildren — they decided about five or so years ago to pay it forward at Christmastime instead of exchanging gifts.

They established how much each person must spend that year and then throughout the year they would secretly pay it forward, giving that money to people and projects in need.

At Christmas then, they all gather with their favorite foods and talk about how they shared the money thr oughout the year.

“The satisfaction and emotions

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and the pride as a parent that comes out of that,” she said, is amazing.

And with four boys, there’s always a bit of competition behind who can make their pay it forward project the most unique.

Hanson said that at first, it was awkward not buying Christmas gifts, but after a couple years, it’s better because there is no stress and gives her the opportunity to really love the holidays more.

Though her sons are grown men now, there was a time when she had to balance work life and home life. She continued to work at the bank and be involved in her community as she raised them.

“That balance was interesting,” she said, but it worked. “I don’t feel I ever missed out.”

The bank owner would let her work in the evenings some and let

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

her juggle her schedule. Her husband at the time and her parents were also very supportive and good with helping out.

“They went to events with me,” she said of her children. “It just became a way of their life.”

And it’s become a way of their lives as adults. She said when she has an event and needs some help, her sons are always willing to pitch in and help.

On a mission Hanson has taken five mission trips with the youth from her church, St. John’s/St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Vergas, where she also serves as the youth leader.

They stay in El Paso, Texas, and cross the border into Anapra and Juarez, Mexico, to help build houses, repair houses and hold vacation Bible school for the kids.

“It changes you if you’re willing to let yourself.”

She said that watching the transformation in the kids she travels with is amazing, whether it is sharing their sandwiches with the hungry, realizing what other teens don’t have or simply putting down their cell phones to be in the moment.

“The biggest fulfillment is working with the youth. It’s changed me, and I hope it gets across to them,” she said. “It’s extremely gratifying.”

Her church started a food pantry for the Vergas area, and she has the youth pitch in there as well. She said it’s good for the kids to see that there is a need in their own backyard as well.

Besides church, Hanson serves on the long range strategic planning committee and the community club because “I like to be

able to bring people to our town.”

She said it’s important to keep the town’s businesses surviving because “if one goes down, it affects them all.”

Another way she helps keep the town front and center is through

space.

Besides the various organizations she is a part of, Hanson also helps out at Spanky’s, doing “whatever he needs,” she said of her son.

One more piece to add to her pie

“I love being able to pump up our community.”

SHERRI HANSON

TV3.

“I’m trying to educate people through TV3 that you need to shop locally,” she said, adding that if you have $50 to spend, why not spend it locally. “It means a lot more to the local community than the big boxes.”

She got involved with TV3 after being asked to fill in a few times, talking about the Vergas community. Those few times became several years.

“I love being able to pump up our community.”

She jokes that she has meetings nearly every night with all the activities she’s a part of, but it’s also hard to step away from them.

“Every active person in the community thinks they need to step back,” she said and there comes a time when she thinks, “I need to do for Sherri. It doesn’t happen,” she added with a laugh.

Less people want to step up and volunteer their time nowadays, and if she gets rid of one thing on her plate, she finds another to fill that

is that she was chosen to participate in the Blandin Foundation’s leadership retreat. Hanson and 23 other community members from Vergas, Frazee and Wolf Lake were chosen to spend the week in October in Grand Rapids, learning leadership skills for rural communities.

She said she’s excited for the opportunity and anyone she’s ever talked to about the program has had a positive experience.

And maybe it will give her more tools to promote her community, one it’s clear to see she’s proud to be a part of.

“I had big plans. I was going to set the world on fire,” she said of when she was younger, but circumstances changed that for her and she set Vergas on fire instead — figuratively, of course.

“My foundation is faith. God knew I needed to stay.”

Follow Pippi Mayfield on Twitter at @PippiMayfield.

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Juggling a career and new motherhood The role women play in society and within their households has changed dramatically over the last half-century According to Pew Research Center analysis of the Decennial Census and American Community Surveys Integrated Public Use Microdata Sample files, in 1960 just 10.8 percent of married mothers were the primary earners in households that included children under the age of 18. That figure rose steadily over the next 50 years, reaching 40.4 percent by 2011. Though the steady rise in those percentages makes the 2011 figure less than surprising, the fact remains that today’s working mothers have more on their plate than ever before and are under more pressure to juggle those responsibilities than their predecessors.

Juggling a career and motherhood is difficult for any woman, but the transition to wearing two hats can prove an especially difficult adjustment for new mothers. The following are a handful of tips for new mothers about to embark on the challenging task of juggling a career and a growing family. • Carefully consider career decisions. Some new mothers

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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being a working mother does require an adjustment period, especially in the immediate weeks and months after maternity leave has ended and your body has yet to adjust to its new schedule. Accept help when it’s offered and recognize that good employers understand the adjustments you will need to make in the immediate aftermath of a pregnancy.

• Look for ways to reduce your workload at home. Juggling a career and new motherhood won’t just have an impact at the office. Part of making a successful transition from working professional to working mother is recognizing that adjustments need to be made at home as well. Both new parents are in the same boat, but mothers are the ones who spend the first three months at home with their new child, and during those three months new mothers typically develop a certain rapport with their new babies that new fathers do not.

Babies may prove more comfortable being fed or rocked to sleep by mom instead of dad. In such instances, look for ways to reduce your workload at home, whether that’s sharing cooking duties or other chores around the house that were once your responsibility alone.

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respond to motherhood by making changes with regard to their careers.

While adjustments will almost certainly need to be made, it’s important that women avoid knee-jerk reactions.

Some women feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children and ultimately allow that guilt to govern their decisions about their careers. But women who don’t give ample consideration to such decisions may grow to regret them when they find they miss their old jobs and the responsibilities and sense of purpose that comes with those jobs. When making career decisions as new motherhood is approaching or after it arrives, make a list of the pros and cons to each decision and the motives behind each decision you might make. The more thoughtfully you approach each decision, the happier you’re likely to be with that decision once it’s been made.

• Avoid going overboard at the office.

Working mothers are often driven to show their employers that new motherhood will not affect their on-thejob performance. In their haste to prove motherhood won’t prove a distraction, new mothers may take on more they can chew. Recognize that

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Wardrobe tips

Revitalize your look with some of these wardrobe tips Celebrities and public figures make many things look easy, especially when it comes to fashion.

Deep pockets and stylists on the payroll make it easy for celebs to project a polished appearance.

But money alone does not buy style, and chances are the average woman has the wardrobe staples necessary to look her best.

Such essentials need not cost a fortune to produce a seemingly endless array of outfits.

Take inventory of the basics Women should go through their closets and find the wardrobe pieces that can be put to use in multiple combinations.

Timeless styles can be used over and over, and some items work well as a base for a multitude of outfits. For example, a simple sleeveless dress in a neutral color can be worn alone, paired with a cardigan for a professional or casual look, or even made to look corporate with a blazer for a business meeting. A sheath in black, tan or navy can be worn repeatedly and matched to a bevy of other pieces. In addition to a simple dress, a pair of black pants, a knee-length skirt, a few tanks or cam-

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

isoles, a pair of darkcolored jeans, and solidcolored cardigans can be mixed and matched in different ways. Women can make a running list of the staples they already own and then fill in the missing pieces on their next shopping trip.

Add some pieces that pop Spice up the basics with some new items that feature hot colors of the season. Pastels, orange and neon colors are big for the spring and summer.

Orange can also carry into autumn. A bold blazer will add appeal to an office combination.

A printed scarf paired with a neutral blouse and pants adds some color and whimsy without being too bold. Printed pants can be a fun choice for a night on the town. Those who prefer to play it safe may lean toward classic lines and colors, but don’t forget to add some punch with strapped shoes or flashy accessories.

Know the cuts and colors that work Looking polished means finding the hues and styles that fit with a particular body type and skin coloring, more so than simply following the lat-

est trends. A woman who understands her body type can rely on pieces that are designed to flatter. Not all colors work on every person. While greens and yellows may look good on one person, a woman with an olive skin tone may look washed out wearing these shades too close to her face.

Similarly, fair- or darkskinned women may fade into their clothing if the pieces are too similar to their skin tone. Women can peruse magazines to find models of similar proportions and coloring, then experiment with the styles and hues they see.

Once a match is found, these can be the go-to looks that enable her to always look polished.

Make sure it fits Clothing that does not fit properly will not look good no matter how fashionable or expensive it might be. Rather than fixating on the size printed on the tag, women should shop for clothing based on fit. This could mean bringing a few different sizes into the dressing room and figuring out which one fits best. Not all designers run true to size, and some fabrics will have more give than others. A good rule of thumb

is to always fit the largest part of your body. The other measurements can be tailored accordingly.

It is a safer bet to purchase a size bigger if one is between sizes and have the item altered rather than trying to squeeze into something that is too small.

Invest in good undergarments Sometimes it isn’t the clothes that can make the woman, but the structure pieces she wears underneath. Fitting experts attest that nearly 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra.

Most women are slipping into bras that are too small. Although bras range in size from 28AAA to 56FF, the majority of department stores stock a limited number of the most popular sizes.

Therefore, women may squeeze into bras that are not sized correctly.

A better idea is to go to a specialty lingerie shop to get properly sized. Not only will a well-fitting bra support the breasts better, but such a bra also transforms the way shirts and dresses look and fit.

Before investing in an entirely new wardrobe, women should invest in new bras.

PLANNING AN EVENT? Stop and see one of our professional planners for your next meeting, event or wedding.

Dawn Alexander

Brenda Lawrence

Amy Wideman

Dawn Alexander Executive Chef When I was 16 years old, my parents told me I had to get a job. I applied here and got hired as a dishwasher. About 2 months later I was promoted to the breakfast cook. About 6 months later I was promoted to banquet chef. When I was 19 years old I was asked to be the Executive Chef at a local restaurant. I took the position. After I came back here, where I worked as Sous Chef for 5 years, then I moved to Washington where I became certified by the state of Washington as a food manager. Moved back home after 2 years of being out there. I was a manager of local restaurants for the next 2 years…until one day I decided I had enough of cooking. I become an Engineering Asst. at BTD for 3 years. I alway missed cooking, so when I heard that Holiday Inn was hiring, I thought why not, let’s give it a shot again. I got the job and here we are.

Enjoy a full tour of this beautiful property and our wide variety of services. Please contact any of our Guest Service Team who will be happy to assist you.

Brenda Lawrence Asst General Manager

Amy Wideman Director of Sales Amy hails from the Perham/Ottertail area. She graduated from St. Cloud State University. What does she love most about her position? “Mostly, meeting new people! I’m here to make sure that their event or special day goes smoothly and… stays on budget”

Book your 2014-2015 event with us today!

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Brenda is a familiar face at the Holiday Inn on the Lake. She is from Frazee and has been with the Holiday Inn on the Lake for 23 Years. If ANYONE knows who it is, where it is, what it is, why it is, when it is… at the Holiday Inn, it’s Brenda! What’s the “craziest” thing Brenda’s ever seen in her years here at the Holiday Inn? “Let’s just say it was probably during the 4th of July Weekend, (laughing) there’s always a lot of craziness on the 4th Weekend“.

1155 Hwy. 10 East, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 | 218-847-2121 | 1-877-251-9348 | www.dlinn.com WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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THANK YOU for all you contribute to the success of our bank.

Recognizing the women on our outstanding team!

bellbanks.com | 920 Lake Avenue, Detroit Lakes | 218.844.3000 | Member FDIC 5985