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B N G Team january 2017
Tyler Buechler
Ryan Goodman Brady Nash
For the guys of BNG, the philosophy is simple:
“Why not?”
CONTENTS
JANUARY 2017
COVER STORY
ADDITIONAL CONTENT
12
Editor's Note 17
Spotlight Media January 2017
See what Spotlight Media's other publications have in store for January.
22
The Legislative Landscape in 2017
FMWF Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Craig Whitney takes a look at what's changed and what will stay the same in North Dakota and Minnesota politics in 2017.
24
Why Sponsoring the Arts Is Good for Business
The Arts Partnership (TAP) Executive Director Dayna Del Val gives us seven reasons why, when businesses support the arts, both sides win.
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B N G Team
Culture Talk: Giving a Voice to Your Biggest Brand Advocates
Too often, we overlook the people who can be the best ambassadors for our companies, says Discovery Benefits Vice President of Marketing Stephanie Schroeder. She gives us an advanced look at her upcoming FMWF Chamber of Commerce Training talk.
48
Get to Know the NDTO
"WHY NOT?"
When you're in a commodity business like payment processing, how do you set yourself apart from the competition? It turns out the answer is simple: do more for your customers than anyone else. The team from West Fargo-based BNG fills us in on the secrets, challenges and frustrations that come with building and growing a multimillion-dollar company.
What exactly does a trade office do? North Dakota Trade Office Executive Director Dean Gorder breaks it down for us.
56
What's in a Name?
Learn the story behind some local companies' names and logos.
61
The Startup Journey
Codelation Founder Josh Christy has started a number of companies so he understands the blood, sweat and tears that come with it. With his new blog, he's hoping to help other startups find their way and their why.
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Fresh Face, Fresh Vision
The NDSU Research & Technology Park's Communications & Program Coordinator Callie Klinkmueller has some big plans for the Park and NDSU's yearly Innovation Challenge. Meet the Fargo transplant (by way of Boston) and why she chose Fargo as her new home.
73
The Art of Space
Kilbourne Group General Manager Mike Allmendinger fills us in on APT, a Downtown Fargo creative incubator and recently announced partnership between The Arts Partnership and Kilbourne Group.
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January Business Events Calendar FM Career Finder 82
The Value of Internships
We spoke with three area college students who recently completed internships to get the answer to one question: Is it worth it?
88
Top Jobs
Check out two full pages of positions at some of the best local companies to work at.
EDITOR'S NOTE Fargo INC!'s
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Get INVOLVED
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he goal of Fargo INC! is to have the greatest impact possible on our community, and for that reason, I wanted to take this opportunity to bring readers' attention to something in the magazine that they may not have noticed before. In almost all stories we do, we include a small badge that contains the words "Take Action" along with our signature "!"
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We at Fargo INC! want to make sure our content is unbiased, accurate, and reflects the views and opinions of the FM business community. That's why we meet regularly with our seven-member editorial board to discuss area business issues and trends and ensure that we are living up to our stated values.
ANNA HANSON
When we compile a guide to all the financing and grant programs available to the myriad startups in our community, we want founders to know exactly what the next steps are for taking advantage of them. So whether you're actively seeking out a specific resource or just want to learn more about an organization, be on the lookout for the "Take Action" badge and well ... take action!
President Moorhead Business Association
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President & CEO FMWF Chamber of Commerce
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President & CEO Dakota Medical Foundation
As always, thanks for reading!
Nate Mickelberg Editor, Fargo INC!
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Executive Director & Cofounder Emerging Prairie
It could be easy to miss if you don't know it's there, but this badge really underlies everything we want this publication to be about.
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Economic Development Specialist US Small Business Administration
When we do a story about local-art sponsorship opportunities for local businesses, we want readers to learn something about the people and organizations involved, of course, but we also want them to do something with that knowledge and get involved.
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JANUARY 2017
JOHN MACHACEK
SVP, Finance & Entrepreneurial Development Great Fargo/Moorhead Economic Development Corporation
DEL RAE WILLIAMS Mayor City of Moorhead
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Look Book 2017 If the new year has you on the search for a heavy dose of design inspiration, don't miss this year's Look Book. Over the last year, we had the honor of touring some of the area's most beautifully designed homes, many of which deserved a second glance. Go ahead and cut out your favorites, mark it up and maybe even steal a few clever ideas - we dare you.
We always hear about the endless hours of hard work NDSU student-athletes do in the weight room. But what exactly are they doing? We go inside the Sanford Health Athletic Complex's weight room and the Bison strength coaches show us what the Bison are doing to out-muscle opponents. Some may be useful for that New Year's resolution you're about to start.
With so much motivation to improve ourselves at the change of a calendar, it's no surprise that many people have similar New Year's resolutions. From losing weight and eating healthier to spending more time with family and saving money, Fargo Monthly explores some of the more common types of resolutions this month and gives some local suggestions for making them happen in 2017.
To learn more about Spotlight Media, go to spotlightmediafargo.com
january 2017 Volume 2 Issue 1
Fargo INC! is published 12 times a year and is available at area businesses and online at fargoinc.com
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Photography J. Alan Paul Photography, Paul Flessland
Contributors Nate Mickelberg, Craig Whitney, Andrew Jason, Jared Stober, Mike Allmendinger
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The
LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE in 2017
H
ere at the Chamber, we are excited to ring in 2017. With a new year comes new beginnings, and this January is especially exciting as both the North Dakota and Minnesota legislatures kick off their sessions following an interesting election cycle.
BY Craig Whitney
Craig Whitney is the president and CEO of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. Portrait by J. Alan Paul Photography 22
JANUARY 2017
Following the elections in North Dakota, we saw a new governor come into office. Governor Doug Burgum comes to the role as a successful entrepreneur and businessman. One of his top priorities is his Main Street Initiative, discussing the three main pillars of economic success: a skilled workforce; smart, efficient infrastructure; and healthy, vibrant communities. The legislative body saw a few changes, with the Republican majority seeing increases in both the House and the Senate. Democrats will have new minority leadership this year as their previous leaders lost their re-election bids. It will be an interesting budgetary time for the state as an economy that is dependent
on oil and agriculture commodities. We were thankful that former Governor Jack Dalrymple included $66.5 million in his budget for the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project. This money is part of the total sum that the state has committed to the project. Minnesota also saw a few changes in its legislative makeup. With a change in the Senate, it will now hold a Republican majority along with the House, which picked up a few more seats for its Republican majority. With Gov. Mark Dayton’s term ending in 2018, this could be an interesting couple of years for the legislative and executive relationship in the state. District 4 legislators Sen. Kent Eken, Rep. Paul Marquart, and Rep. Ben Lien were all up for re-election and won their bids. Recently announced, Representative Lien will serve as assistant minority leader in the House. In Minnesota, we will be working to continue to move forward the Moorhead Grade Separation project for the railroad on 20th Street. This project is important for
the safety and security of our citizens but also the continued economic vitality of the region. We have hosted meetings with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway representatives, Minnesota Railroad Association representatives, and city and county leaders to continue discussions on this project and many other safety initiatives taking place. Chamber staff and Board members will be attending the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Session Priorities dinner on January 4. At this event, the Minnesota Chamber will lay out its legislative agenda, Governor Dayton will speak and we will have the opportunity to connect with our elected leaders. Please mark your calendars for our biennial event, "Chamber Day at the Capitol," where we bring Chamber members out to Bismarck for a day to connect with our elected leaders, observe the legislative process and share the priorities important to Chamber member firms. This year’s trip will be held on Thursday, February 9. If you are interested in attending, please let us know.
We look forward to working closely with our elected leaders in Minnesota and North Dakota as we continue to make Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo a great place to live, work and do business in the year ahead. Of course, we also have lots of other great events and initiatives planned at the Chamber for the coming year. We hope to see you around, and please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how to get involved.
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FMWF Chamber of Commerce fmwfchamber.com 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead 218-233-1100
NOTABLE NONPROFIT
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7 Reason
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s t r A e th R O F D O O IS G S S E N I S U B
hile charities are a popular recipient of many businesses' philanthropic dollars, another, less-visible cause is just as worthy—and a sound investment, to boot. The Arts Partnership (TAP) Executive Director Dayna Del Val gives us seven reasons why supporting the local arts is beneficial to both sides.
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By Dayna Del Val | Photos by Paul Flessland
Dayna Del Val was hired as the executive director of The Arts Partnership in 2010. Before that, she had been an arts advocate in smaller ways: volunteering for arts nonprofits, attending events, etc. A Trollwood alumna and a graduate of the Theatre Arts program at MSUM, she has been an actress for more than 35 years. In addition to running TAP, she serves as board president of Arts North Dakota, a statewide arts-advocacy group. 24
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No. 1
REASON A community’s overall health can be judged by how successful the arts are. Despite the overwhelming number of studies that prove how valuable investing in the arts is at every stage of life and across every spectrum, when budgets get tight or cuts have to be made, the arts are almost always the first to go. So when a city or a business has made significant investments in the arts and they are thriving, it’s often a sure sign that the rest of the community or business is doing well, too.
No. 2
REASON Today, people can live almost anywhere they want to for work so then it comes down to where do people want to live? Study after study shows that communities that have a vibrant arts scene, including galleries, museums, public art, liveperformance opportunities and venues, and a strong collection of individual artists, draw people to them. And when the arts scene is vibrant, independent restaurants, pubs, breweries, shops, and other locally made businesses pop up, which creates an even bigger draw. This is all a priority for many young people and is often one of the big differences between relocating or not.
No. 3
Artists pictured are members of Ochre Creative Studios, a contemporary-art gallery and shared studio space for up-and-coming artists in the FM area.
REASON We know that businesses carefully vet communities for their viability to fill positions before expanding or relocating. The arts play a major role in that decision because, with a strong arts scene, it’s easier to attract talent from the outside, particularly those with families who are looking for how they will integrate into a new community. 25
What Exactly Does The Arts Partnership (TAP) Do? The Arts Partnership is a Fargo-based umbrella nonprofit arts organization representing more than 150 area arts nonprofits, artists and arts-related businesses. Their mission is to cultivate the arts in the community, and they do so in four distinct ways:
1. Communication
··A weekly content relationship with The Forum of FargoMoorhead ··Social media ··An active blog ··A weekly e-newsletter, "Connecting the Dots"
2. Advocacy
··Talking to service clubs and other groups ··Working with elected leaders from all three cities (Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo) and two states (North Dakota and Minnesota)
3. Networking
··Networking opportunities for artists with each other and with the larger community
4. Granting
··Through the City Arts Partnership grants, re-grant dollars from all three metro cities to area nonprofits making art. ··In June, awarded $84,000 to 33 organizations ··Raise private dollars for the Individual Arts Partnership grants, as well as having a funding relationship with Jade Presents (specifically for musicians) and Sanford Health—to award merit dollars to arts organizations doing outstanding work "Ultimately," Del Val says, "we are an arts amplifier and work to ensure that wherever we go and however we can, people are hearing about the value of the arts—to the economy; for cultural preservation; and as a way to work through complex problems, to reach at-risk populations, to attract and retain talent and business; and so much more."
No. 5
REASON The arts better prepare students to work in STEM-related fields. It’s a well known fact that students who are exposed to the arts, in any of its many forms, tend to have higher test scores, tend to be better at creative problem-solving, communication and the ability to connect seemingly disparate things. They also tend to understand how to work collaboratively, as well as independently. These are all skills that many 21st-century jobs not only desire but demand. And if you don’t have them growing up, it can be hard to acquire them later in life. We keep hearing that many of the jobs today’s students will work in haven’t even been created yet. We are going to need an infusion of creative problem-solvers to address all the many issues that are going to face our metro, the region, the country, and the world, and arts investments– made inside schools and out in the community–will be imperative to developing those leaders.
“The scary part is that we do more, but I’m not sure we do it any better because we don’t spend the time to reflect on what it is we need to accomplish.”
BUSINESS
WISDOM
DAVID BERG Former President & CEO, American Crystal Sugar 26
No. 4
REASON Attraction is one thing, but retention is quite another. Millennials will average four jobs before they turn 32 so keeping young workers is a high priority for many businesses. Benefits now have to include corporate culture and employee engagement. The businesses that have figured out how to bring the arts and creativity to their employees–such as TMI Hospitality, now in its fourth year of the Artist-in-residence program through The Arts Partnership– have a better chance of keeping young employees longer because of this investment.
JANUARY 2017
No. 6
REASON The arts are a great equalizer. Every culture has art: music, dance, visual, theatre, oral and written stories, and more. While they might look and sound different, part of being human is to recognize the arts. One way to be a welcoming, inclusive community to those who are “not from around here” is to invite everyone to participate in the arts–to learn something about another culture or region through the arts and to learn about how similar we all really are through the arts. Events like Pangea at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County help to make everyone who lives in our community feel welcome and part of something larger. We need more support for more of that. From a pure business perspective, we have a lot of job openings right now (approximately 5,000 on any given day in the metro), and that’s only going to grow at an alarming rate (30,000 in the next few years). Businesses are going to need the new Americans and others from outside the region who are coming to our community to fill many of those jobs. We could intentionally grow that subset of our population if we worked harder to make them feel welcome and to invest in their cultural background while introducing them to ours. Diversity is a good thing, and the arts can help make that transition much easier and more meaningful for everyone.
No. 7
REASON The arts just make everything better, plain and simple. Downtowns and shopping areas with excellent architecture, public art and spaces, shops to peruse and enjoy all the many kinds of art forms, and greenspace where outdoor performances can be created–these things are vital to our very being. It’s what makes a community more than a collection of people. It’s what helps us invest in our neighbors, care about our coworkers and work to continue to make where we live the very best place it can be.
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HOW TO GET INVOLVED If you'd like to learn more about The Arts Partnership or your company is interested in sponsoring local artists. Dayna Del Val Executive Director The Arts Partnership theartspartnership.net dayna@theartspartnership.net 1104 2nd Ave. S, Suite 315 Fargo 701-237-6133
E VENT PRE VIE W
Culture Talk: Giving a Voice to Your Biggest Brand Advocates
In this month's "Event Preview," we take a deeper dive into a talk near and dear to the professional heart of Discovery Benefits Vice President of Marketing Stephanie Schroeder. Here, Schroeder gives us an extended sneak peek into her upcoming presentation that will tout the role that company culture plays in turning employees into a brand's biggest ambassadors and advocates.
Event Details
Wednesday, January 11 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn 4351 17th Ave. S, Fargo
By Stephanie Schroeder Vice President of Marketing Discovery Benefits
This training qualifies for two CPE credits for the ND CPA Society.
#FMWFTraining
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Paul Flessland
Registration (includes lunch) • FMWF Chamber of Commerce Members $27 in advance $32 at the door • Non-members $40 in advance $45 at the door
1.
What is culture, anyway?
"Culture" has become a bit of a buzzword for corporations. Everyone knows it’s important for a company to have a good culture, but because the word is tossed around so freely, it seems to have almost lost its meaning. In a workplace setting, the walk doesn’t always match the talk. Sometimes, people equate culture with throwing a party for your employees or offering a unique perk, but all the events and perks in the world can’t make up for a disingenuous culture. It’s one of those things that’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Think about culture from a more general perspective. When you talk about your own personal culture, you might mention things like where you come from, what your goals are or what values you hold dear. Well, the same types of things define your corporate culture, too. When someone walks into your building, you want them to get a feel for your history, to recognize the things that are important to your organization and to see your core values being lived out in the actions of your employees. That feeling they get from all that? That’s your culture. And just like we all have very different cultural backgrounds, every organization has a different culture.
"All the events and perks in the world can’t make up for a disingenuous culture."
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""The reason it can be hard to make culture a priority is because it’s seen as something that only has direct benefits inside your organization."
2.
Read This In "Purple Cow," bestselling author Seth Godin launches a movement to make truly remarkable products that are worth marketing in the first place. Through stories about companies such as Starbucks, JetBlue, Krispy Kreme and Apple— coupled with his signature provocative style—he inspires readers to rethink what their marketing is really saying about their product. Too often, companies try to pinpoint their purple cow by asking things like, “Do we have the best pricing? The best service? The best products?” All of these are important, of course, but there’s another question to ask: “Do we have a remarkable culture?” Because that’s how you’ll get your closest audience, your employees, to also be your closest advocates.* *Summary from Amazon
What does it have to do with your brand?
The reason it can be hard to make culture a priority is because it’s seen as something that only has direct benefits inside your organization. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. When you create a genuine culture where employees feel like their values align with the organization’s and they are empowered to make a difference, the impact of that extends far beyond your office walls. When your culture makes employees feel valued and empowered, you get more than just talented staff, you get brand advocates—people who are going to evangelize your brand not because it’s their job but because they believe in your mission. Brand advocacy is the ultimate goal for marketers and non-marketers alike. Everyone wants to get people talking favorably about their organization and to create promoters, as opposed to detractors. So we invest in brand-awareness activities and work hard to create engagement and do everything possible to differentiate our brand from the competition. But even if you do all of that—and even if you do it really well—you’re not guaranteed to get brand advocates out of the deal because you’re fighting for the attention of customers who are oversaturated with advertising and branding. And while you still have to try to get their attention, there’s a much easier audience out there that can rapidly build brand advocates in the meantime: the people who are already intimately familiar with and are positively engaged with your brand, AKA your employees. Brilliant marketer and entrepreneur Seth Godin published a book called "Purple Cow," where he talks about building a brand by playing up your differentiators. To create brand advocates, he says he encourages brands to find the thing that makes them unique and remarkable—their “purple cow,” as he calls it. Because unlike your ordinary black-and-white cow that you wouldn’t think twice about seeing, a purple cow is going to get your attention with its remarkability.
3.
So how do you accomplish it?
Well, the good news is that every company has a culture and one exists at your organization, whether or not you've made a conscious effort to create one. The real question is: Do you have the right culture? And do you have the culture you want? In other words, does your culture align with your core values, empower your employees into advocacy and adequately reflect your brand? If not, there’s a lot you can do to improve your culture while simultaneously evangelizing your brand. First, define the culture you (and your employees) want. This should be taken as seriously as determining your core values or crafting your mission statement. Once you’ve determined the culture you want, put it in writing. Create a brand book and make it available to all employees. Place a statement in your corporate handbook. Make sure everyone knows it isn’t just talk. Next, put your money where your mouth is. Build that culture. Form a culture committee that’s responsible for engaging employees who will champion what culture means at your organization. Most importantly, make sure management leads by example. Culture has to be carried out at all levels of the organization. Finally, encourage advocacy. Activate your brand’s social media channels and push out regular content if you’re not already doing so. Encourage your employees to engage with your brand on social media and share their favorite aspects of the culture with others. Then, reward and recognize that kind of advocacy to keep the cycle going.
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B N G Team
“Why not?” If ever there were a cure for paralysis by analysis, this approach might be it. So often, we spend our time trying to talk ourselves into why something can work when maybe we should be asking, "Why can't it?"
It's a mindset that CEO Brady Nash has worked to instill in his West Fargobased BNG Team for more than a decade, and if the payment-processing company's exponential growth is any indication, the mantra seems to be resonating. Don't take our word for it, though. This month, we're handing the reins over to Nash and his team to let you hear directly from them—on getting employees to buy in, on staying grateful and on the inevitable challenges and frustrations that come with building a multi-million-dollar company.
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15 Rules for Building a Successful Company
By Brady Nash CEO BNG Team
I'm always going to show them that leading by example isn't the best way to lead, it's the only way. 34
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T
A A B IT B O U
BNG
The little 1 things really do 2 go a long
The BNG Team story starts in 2004, when three college friends—Tyler Buechler, Brady Nash and Ryan Goodman—met while attending NDSU and fell in love with entrepreneurship. They dropped out of college and formed BNG Team. With roots in the paymentprocessing industry, they wanted to create solutions that benefited businesses operating in small North Dakota towns. Actually made up of four different in-house companies, here's a breakdown of the BNG Team brands:
Show, don't tell.
You always hear owners and CEOs say, "We want employees who will run through a brick wall for us." Okay, great, would you run through a brick wall for them? Have you shown them? Prove it. I can tell my wife I love her, but showing her is a whole 'nother ballgame.
I tell our team members, "We care about you and don't want to pay you the least
amount we think we can." And we back it up. We average close to a 10-percent pay raise, historically.
I'm always going to show them that leading by example isn't the best way to lead, it's the only way. And leading is at the front of the line, not at the back. It's not sending other people.
BNG Holdings • Payment processing for businesses • Wireless, mail order & phone-payment processing • E-commerce-shopping cart integration • Gift & loyalty cards BNG Technologies • Point-of-sale solutions • Point-of-sale hardware • Point-of-sale software BNG Design • Website development • E-commerce development • Copywriting services • Marketing services
ConnectBooster • Invoicing software for businesses • Integrated with various CRM softwares • Integrated with multiple accounting softwares
Remember that excellence is the status of not just going through the motions.
To use a relevant example, say you shoveled the driveway. Is it actually clean? Is there still powder on there? Technically, you did it, but did you do a crappy job?
It's the exact same way with customers. When you call them, it can't just be about checking the box and saying you
took care of them. It has to be, "Hey, so-and-so, just wanted to check in. Is everything working? Good! Let us know if you need anything. Here's my number. I just want to make sure you're taken care of."
The little things really do go a long way. And that, for me, embodies what BNG is.
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I'd say our biggest 3 strength is that we are way4more ambitious than DY NASH
'S
BRA
Reading Pick
No excuses. Always find a way.
We value not just excellence but creativity, which, quite simply, is thinking outside the box. "No" isn't acceptable. We have to figure it out. It might not be normal, it might be
expensive, I don't recommend it, but here's how we can do it.
I'd say our biggest strength is that we are way more ambitious than smart.
The Blessed Life: Unlocking the Rewards of Generous Living
By Robert Morris
This book will transform your life for the better, bringing you guaranteed financial results. But it will do more than that. It will change every area of your life: marriage, family, health and relationships. With humor, passion, and clarity, Robert Morris presents the secrets of living a blessed life both financially and spiritually.* *Summary from Amazon
Always remain happy and grateful.
Back when we were coming up with our core values, we came up with the first four and I just kept thinking , "We're missing something that embodies who we are. What is it?" It was "happy and grateful." And for me, that's the one that stands out.
It's something where, if our coworker, Dave, wins the lottery, are we happy for him? Or do we say, "I buy lotto tickets.
I've been buying them for three years. I never win the lottery!" Sorry, that person can't work for us.
I want people who are like, "I'm so pumped for Dave and his family and his kids!" That's a whole mentality shift of who someone is. You want someone who's happy for people, who genuinely cares, and who isn't negative and poisoning your company.
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What you might not know about... Web Design By Kimberly Pigeon Web Design Manager BNG Design
BNG Design creates websites and marketing plans for businesses. We’re passionate, creative and focused on the growth of our clients' businesses. Every company needs a website if they want to succeed. However, many don’t realize that websites should never be static pages. Websites should always be dynamic, avoiding situations where the website is “stuck” with old content that was last updated in 2010. What many businesses don’t know about typical web design firms is they also get “stuck” in how they run their businesses. Here’s how the typical web design business operates: 1. They focus on project-based work and an hourly model. 2. They sell a website for a specific dollar amount. 3. They finish the project and send the final bill. 4. The revenue dries up because it's not a recurring income source. 5. They struggle with revenue, struggle to make payroll and can’t pay their bills. Knowing this, we learned that we wanted to do something different with our project-based business. It’s our goal to serve businesses with excellence, while generating revenue through a residual source. And while other websitedevelopment firms and marketing agencies wrestled with seasons of revenue that are full of peaks and valleys, we took note. We decided we didn’t want
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that. We also noticed changes within the web industry that were trending to reward websites that updated their content on a regular basis. In other words, there was demand to create a recurring service from this shift in the web industry. This knowledge helped us transform how we operate our business and deliver our services. You see, the web is about change. The search engines—and your prospects— want fresh stuff to read. And with businesses demanding this type of service for things like SEO/SEM and website maintenance, we adjusted the way we operate in order to better serve our clients. Businesses also need to have their websites updated so they’re protected from online threats. The value from a monthly preventative plan that guards against things like malware is priceless. Most attacks to a website can be prevented with a little bit of website maintenance through a recurring service. It’s recurring services like these that have given us the operational freedom to grow and help other Fargo-Moorhead companies best utilize the web. Solving problems by using industry knowledge is what’s allowed BNG Design to operate as a profitable web design company and help other businesses get the best outcome and return-oninvestment.
You b be ta care peopl are t reaso busin
better 6 aking of the 5 le who the 7 on the ness
It's your company. Own it.
In the past, part of me wanted to step back and stay out of the spotlight, but I realized that I was really hurting the company by doing it.
Feed the hand that feeds you.
If i'm leading the company, it's important for me to engage and do things like interact with the media. Because it's not only something our team can be proud
of, it also gets us recognition, helps our sales team, helps our marketing team, all of those things. You need a figurehead. You have to have someone out there, and it's an important part of growing and being successful. Anytime I've tried to back out of that role, it backfires.
I really believe it's a blessing to be able to give and help other people out. It's not just about having. I've seen enough to know how empty that is. I want to take care of my family, take care of my parents and take care of the people who helped us make it: our employees. And you better be taking care of them because they're reason the business even exists.
Never forget that your performance has a ripple effect.
We care about people, but we don't just say it. We show it. If you walked around our office, you'd see how close-knit we all are. We're a family. I don't take
lightly that I have 35 full-time people with families and kids who depend on that income and that job. And how if I screw up, it could affect all of them.
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My job is to 8 find the right people and put them in an environment 9 where they can be Don't try to be something you're not. Embrace both your strengths and weaknesses.
I am of very average intelligence, but I'm very good at grabbing the right types of people, putting a team together, and saying, "Hey, you are amazing at this." I really believe my job is to coach everyone else up. My job is to find the right people and put
them in an environment where they can be successful.
I really had to learn to not micromanage and to step back, trust other people and put them in a situation where they can succeed. And then just support them.
Perfect is the enemy of good.
Life is like a moving pendulum, and every once in a while, it feels like it gets to a point where everything is perfect—I have a good grasp on the business, my wife is good, I'm spending a lot of time with my kids, my health is good. Then, as soon as it's there, the pendulum starts moving and maybe my wife or kids are struggling or the business is getting away. Maybe my family life is good, but if i don't take care
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of the business stuff, it will start creeping into my personal life.
And I know I'm never going to be perfect. I'm never going to be the perfect husband or the perfect dad or the perfect CEO, but that's what I feel life is all about is that it's never perfect. And that's not a copout. You just have to keep balancing and remember to not beat yourself up too much. Just understand and always work to get better.
What you might not know about... Point-of-sale By Geoff Zibell COO BNG Techologies
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There's not always time for small talk, and that's okay. The biggest concern I have about growing is creating an overly corporate culture. I've been able to build a pretty good relationship with almost everyone I've hired to this point, but as you keep growing and hiring more people, you can't go every morning and have a 5-10-minute conversation with everyone in the building—even if you'd like to. So I tell people, "Hey, just so you know, when I walk by, it's not that I don't want to talk to you. I just can't engage because I have stuff to do." I feel it's important to communicate that so they don't think I'm just brushing them off. They understand that I have to be very direct with my time, a lot of the time.
report and track everything, and you can use this reporting information to make better choices. It empowers business owners to make decisions that help grow their establishment. We see this benefit as one that’s missed the most by small business owners. At the heart of what we do, BNG Technologies sells point-of-sale (POS) solutions to restaurants and bars. The goal of these solutions is improve their bottom line. But there’s more to a good point-of-sale system—and what it actually can do for a restaurant and bar—that many business owners don’t realize. When you’re out to dinner at your favorite Fargo-Moorhead restaurant, you’re probably unaware of the process that magically happens when you order your food and drink and pay your bill with a credit card. When you order food, the waitstaff uses the point-of-sale system to choose the menu item, at which point that order goes to the kitchen staff, who sees the order and makes the food. All the while, this entire transaction is being tracked to help the general manager or owner see important data such as what food is sold, what ingredients are used and when they need to order more inventory in the future. One of the most important aspects the public doesn’t know about the restaurant industry is that a good POS system can
Every business wants to make good decisions. You’re no different. You want to hire the right people, manage your expenses, and execute well on your sales and marketing. For a restaurant and bar owner, a point-of-sale system doesn’t simply swipe credit cards, and that shouldn’t be the expectation. It’s an investment into a software that is a critical tool to help you run your entire business. Whoever is writing the check for a business should want to know what their point-of-sale system can do to make them better. A good POS solution does that. They help small- and medium-sized restaurants, bars, and boutique retailers improve their bottom line and their business. We want to help guide bar- and restaurant-owners through using a point-of-sale system, which can easily be tailored for use in any sort of foodservice environment. From fine dining and table-service restaurants to quickservice, pizza delivery, and even take-out establishments, point-of-sale solutions can help.
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What you might not know about... Getting Started By Ryan Goodman President ConnectBooster
ConnectBooster is a software that helps companies solve their paymentautomation issues, accounts-receivable issues and accounting issues. The result of this solution is getting companies paid without having to lift a finger. What many people don’t realize about creating a software company is how hard it is early on. The difficulties experienced were with things such as refining our company plan as unforeseen challenges appeared, figuring out how to gain interest and traction inside of a market, developing and refining the projectmanagement process, and integrating with multiple types of software. It was all exhausting. What we found in creating ConnectBooster’s software was that most service-based companies fail to think about things like accounts receivable, their invoicing process and even their accounting. We were no different, as we failed at the same things. Often times, your only focus is on sales, marketing and the day-to-day chaos of running your company. So we set out to create a software to simplify how our clients pay us and to automate accounting tasks such as reconciling accounting transactions in QuickBooks. We also wanted to leverage our CRM software and run our customers’ contracts through our billing, with the ultimate goal of getting paid automatically. We didn’t want a manual process to collect money owed to us. Once we implemented this software inside our own companies, we decided to monetize it by going to market and selling this inside a niche vertical.
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Getting to this point was the toughest part. We weren’t ready for the surprises that came with starting a software company, but we just kept going and focused on the end goal—that goal being the development of a software that solves perpetual problems for service-based companies. The key for us in software development is learning to hire good people and letting them work. We struggled with things like delegation—as many entrepreneurs do— but we learned valuable lessons along the way. Much of our initial success has come from the ability to scale and the value of surrounding yourself with a good support team. Hiring the right team members is so important. Above all, we really believe that we’re revolutionizing the entire way the SMB market handles getting paid. From this, we get our satisfaction from making a difference in other people's lives. For us, it’s not about the sale, the marketing or even our solution. Our fulfillment comes from helping our customers, creating jobs that pay our employees, and through creating jobs in the local and regional Fargo-Moorhead economy. For ConnectBooster, it’s about building a culture that has the staying power of a team of people and employees that feel the same way.
Do mo for yo custo than w anyone else is doing f
ore our 11 omers what e 12 s for
However you do it, provide more value.
I took this one from Tony Robbins: To really be successful, do more than what everyone else is doing. Do more for your customers than what anyone else is doing for them. We're in a commodity business.
Pretty much all banks offer paymentprocessing. So why work with us? Is it because we're local? That's one little checkbox, but a lot of people can say they're local. For us, it's, "We have to do more for them. How can we provide more value?"
Be anything but mediocre.
I'm an extremist at all levels.
If I drank, I'd be an alcoholic. If I smoked, I'd be a chainsmoker. If someone brought in a cake, I wouldn't just have one piece. I'd eat the whole freaking thing. But if you can channel that into productive things, it's very good.
One of my mantras is: You don't halfass. You either do it right or you don't do it. There's no in-between. And I really believe that, in business, you can't halfcommit.
Pride can be a dangerous thing.
What you might not know about... Marketing
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Don't confuse personal achievements with what's best for the business.
When I was younger, I used to take pride in being the best sales guy and having all the records, "Hey, look at me! I'm doing this!" It was all about what I was achieving and accomplishing and, "Oh, you have a problem? I'll take care of it!" And pride can be a dangerous thing because we weren't necessarily growing in a way that was best for the company. At the end of the day, all you should really do is look back and ask yourself, "What did I do today so that the company is in a better position than when I started?" Give the employees the glory because you don't need that. You don't want it to be about you or how great you are. Make it about the business and the company.
By Scott Heinle VP Corporate Sales BNG Holdings
businesses, we help them clarify their payments process. And in the process of using our knowledge to educate other businesses, we end up building trust and credibility.
At BNG Holdings, we exist to help businesses accept payments from their customers. We do this by offering payment solutions to businesses across North America and in the FargoMoorhead region. Those payments might be credit card transactions, ACH acceptance, e-check, even e-commerce. But unless you’ve spent time working in the credit-card industry, what you probably don’t know is how difficult it can be to market this service in an incredibly competitive industry. Let’s face it: The credit card industry is notorious for integrity issues, theft and poor service. On top of that, it’s nearly impossible for a business to decipher their monthly statements to know whether or not they’re getting a fair deal. The way to get around these labels in our sales and marketing is by sticking to our core focus, which is knowledge. In the credit card and paymentsprocessing industry, knowledge is the best way to set yourself apart from the competition. It’s important because in a sea of noise, where ever-changing financial rules and regulations confuse
Besides using the power of knowledge to market our services, one of the things we focus on is catering payment processing solutions based upon a business's unique needs. No one business is the same. We’ve learned to not be cookiecutter in what we offer and we avoid situations where we present the same answer as everyone else. We’ve learned in our experience that a business's desire is to get paid faster and at a lower cost. Businesses also love the value of eliminating redundant tasks such as double and triple data entry in accounting and in their CRM software. What we’ve also found is that the best way to succeed in this business is to look at your customers through the lens of a long-term relationship. It’s not a quick cash grab. Small- and medium-sized businesses are sick of being treated like an arbitrary number. Merchant services can be like that, and it can be extremely frustrating to work with as a business. So the next time you send an invoice or set up an ACH payment, think about how knowledge has helped clarify payments processing and how knowing what to expect has helped your business. And be sure to consider solutions that are creative to help solve your billing problems.
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I'm just 14 a person where the status 15 quo is never good No amount of money can trump true passion.
Inc 5000
For the second consecutive year, BNG was named to the Inc. 5000, an annual ranking from Inc. magazine that lists the country's top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies.
Something I've asked myself before is, "If today someone offered me $50 million for our company, what would I do?" And I can honestly say that I'd want to keep doing exactly what I'm doing.
just like: Why not? Why can't we be the next Great Plains (Software)? Not because I need to be a billionaire but honestly just because: Why can't we do it? Wouldn't that be cool?
I'm working with my best friends and I'm a competitor. We're competing against multi-billion-dollar companies and I'm
We're young enough, we have the recurring revenue, we're in industries that have no ceiling. So why not?
Do the right things and let success be a byproduct.
What I want BNG to be is an example— nationally, maybe even worldwide—of how you treat people and how you build a business without being focused on bottom-line profitability. That is my goal. Because once you get past the materialistic and financial side of things,
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that's when you're like, "Yeah, it's worth it." That's what makes you want to keep going and fighting and never settle. I'm just a person where the status quo is never good enough. It's always: What can we do to be better?
G E T THE O K NDTO O A Conversation with North Dakota Trade Office Executive Director Dean Gorder
By Nate Mickelberg Photo by Paul Flessland
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W
hether you're a veteran of international trade or aren't sure if your company is ready to take the leap, here we help you learn a little more about North Dakota's official liaison to the world marketplace.
QA
Ballparking it, what percentage of your member-clients are first-time exporters and what percentage are more established traders? Dean Gorder: Not an easy answer for that one. A majority of the core companies that we work with are established exporters, but we regularly get contacted by first-timers. We’re a fairly unique organization. We’re not part of the state. We’re a public-private partnership that is funded, in part, by the state. The balance of our revenue is generated through membership fees, service fees, and grants, which are mostly federal but can also be on the state level. Because the state provides money to us, we will never turn 49
a North Dakota company away. Anyone that calls us, we’ll work with them.
dry beans and flax. Things that that aren’t monopolized by the big companies.
Any industries that might surprise people?
Typically, what happens is that as an exporter gets more into it and gets a little more serious about it, that's when we’ll say, "If you really want to become an exporter and you want to do it for the long haul, we suggest that you join us and take advantage of all the services.”
With the large-scale commodities—corn, soybeans and wheat—we do get requests. Somebody will say, "We want to buy a shipload of wheat." We can’t even do it. All the port facilities are owned by one of those big companies, all the ships are owned by one of those big companies. So we don’t go there at all.
Gorder: A pretty big area that a lot of people don’t think of is education. It’s a fairly major export out of North Dakota. You look at UND and NDSU, and they have a lot of foreign students.
"All the services" being...? Gorder: So they pay us $5,500 for a 2-year membership. If they use all the services, they get every penny of that back. And people say, "Well that’s silly. Why don’t we just buy them as we go?" And to that I say, "Okay, so six months from now, if I call you and say we have this class and you should be at it, are you going to be too busy? Are you sure you’re going to want to spend the money at that time? "Tell me now if you’re committed to this. If you’re committed, join us and we’ll continue to offer these services to you." We get you on our mailing list, and you get more involved. One of the key elements for these exporters is the networking opportunities that we provide them. That’s really how they learn. We give them the basics, but they plug in and they start meeting the other companies, and there’s a lot of interaction that goes on among the export community—just like any other niche. What industries do you work with most? Gorder: The largest is commodities. But it’s not GMO soybeans and corn. It’s nonGMO soybeans and it’s the pulse crops: peas, lentils, chickpeas,
They're dealing in shipload quantities of stuff, and they’re amalgamated loads from all over the US. We really focus on something that’s produced here, packaged here and shipped from here. The second-biggest industry for us is ag-machinery manufacturers. And construction as well. And that’s both new equipment manufactured here—a Summers Manufacturing, a Superior Grain Bins out of Kindred, companies like that. And then there’s also the RDOs, Brandts and Titans that resell a lot of used equipment out of North Dakota or out of the upper Great Plains to points around the world.
While it's typically not the purpose of our trade missions, any time we’re in another country, we do take that opportunity. There are people from UND and NDSU who have traveled with us to events. It’s to market the universities to potential students who would come here. Then there are a lot of other companies—Intelligent InSites here in Fargo, for instance— they’re a member of the Trade Office. They're selling software, but they’re really selling a service. The software is part of the overall service. A company like Weather Modification, Inc. up at the airport. They’re a pretty major exporter. There’s just a whole variety of—I don’t want to call them one-offs, but they’re their own industry. There’s a company up at the airport, Dakota Air Parts, that
basically scavenges used helicopters and refurbishes the parts and sells them all over the world. It's a very successful company, but they don’t market anything in the US. They’ll go take a broken-down Huey out of some jungle somewhere, bring it back here, pull all the important pieces, refurbish them and sell them. The NDTO focuses entirely on the exports side of things, right? Gorder: Yes, thats about 95 percent of what we do. Though we will help problem-solve for an importer. One individual in our office is a licensed customs broker. So if company x—let’s say it’s WCCO Belting out of Wahpeton (N.D.). They import a lot of their raw materials to make their conveyor belts. If they have an issue on the imports side, they will still contact us, and we’ll help them troubleshoot it. Even though that’s not our focus, if they have a specific issue, we’ll help them work through it.
Brief Bio
Dean Gorder • Has an aviation administration degree from UND, which is a business degree focused on aviation • Is still a pilot and flight instructor • Got his start in international business marketing aviation services around the world • In 2000, started his own
company, Vector Training Systems, which he sold in 2004 • Then worked for an off-roadvehicle-component company called Mattracks before joining the NDTO in 2010 • Says he's uniquely suited for his current role as he's worked in manufacturing, sales and the service industry—all in an international capacity 51
The NDTO Team
The North Dakota Trade Office staff is spread out around the world. Check out the map to see exactly where.
When we reached out to Gorder a few months ago to contribute questions for our October cover story on then-North Dakota gubernatorial candidate Doug Burgum, he probably didn't expect them to get turned back around on him. But that's exactly what we did. Gorder answers his own questions below. What role do international sales and trade play in the diversification and modernization of the North Dakota economy? Gorder: When you look at North Dakota—whether it be oil, commodities or product services—we always produce more than we consume. If you’re Xcel Energy or Minnkota, you sell it to Minnesota. If you’re a farmer, you sell it to wherever the market is—that can be China, that can be wherever. If you’re Intelligent InSites, your market within the US is defined. There's a lot of competition, but you can go to Singapore, you can go to Norway, you can go to Saudi Arabia. You can go to all these other markets. To really sum it up, 95 percent of all the consumers in the world live outside the US. So without active outreach and really promoting and pushing North Dakota companies to participate in the global economy, North Dakota will stagnate.
BUSINESS
WISDOM
What should the state of North Dakota do to support existing export companies and groom new-to-export companies? Gorder: This one is a bit selfserving, but I think that providing access to expertise is the key element there. There has to be some place to go, whether it be the Trade Office or the (North Dakota) Department of Agriculture does it to a degree. We tie very tightly to U.S. Commercial Service. Then, through the Department of Ag, we use what’s called the Foreign Ag Service, which is part of the USDA. So there is this existing network, but how do you connect the producer in Garrison, N.D., to any one of those resources? There has to be a bridge there. To me, somebody within the state has to be tasked with and funded to provide that link from the producer or the packager or the manufacturer in North Dakota to the global market.
JANUARY 2017
North Dakota is a leading producer of many different commodities. What can be done to ensure that the producers and processors of these commodities can get their products to market in a cost-effective manner to effectively compete with other producing regions? Gorder: The key to that one is transportation. If you're sitting in Fargo and you build a product or grow a product, and you have a
• Astana, Kazakhstan • Hong Kong
customer in—pick any point in the world. How do you get it from Fargo to that point in the world? It’s a huge issue. Back in the ‘80s, the grain industry in North Dakota and the railroads came up with a shuttletrain system. You’ve probably seen many of them. They’re 150 cars long and they pull an empty train to a grain elevator. If you notice, the small country elevators are gone so now all the elevators have the capacity to
“Calm down. Think on it for a bit. Taking an appreciative approach to negative feedback is the best spin you can put on it.” DAN HURDER President & CEO, Great Plains Hospitality
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• Bismarck • Fargo • Kiev, Ukraine
• Istanbul, Turkey • Seoul, South Korea
load one of these unit trains. Empty train pulls in, they can fill it in five or six hours, train pulls out, and it’s on its way to Montreal, New Orleans, Seattle, gets on a ship and out it goes. Most of the products from the companies we deal with don’t go in the same method. Many of them are containerized. Right now, the closest point to get a container and drop off a container is Minneapolis. Not efficient. Unless you’re near Minneapolis or you’re near Chicago or you’re near Denver—any of the larger metro areas that have good container service—all the manufacturers and producers here are at a disadvantage. So we’ve been working quite diligently on the issue for the last several years.
Minot now has a facility. It’s called North Dakota Port Services. And we have been down to Fort Worth (Texas), we’re lobbying the railroad, we’re lobbying the steamship lines because they, in essence, own those containers. And our goal is for all North Dakota producers to have not only good container service but at competitive prices. That, to me, will make or break a lot of the manufacturing and specialty commodity companies that are trying to export their product. Otherwise, it’s going to cost you $700 or $800 to drive down to Minneapolis, load up an empty container, haul it up here and haul it back to Minneapolis.
NDTO Exporter Services
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International Business Consulting
International Market Research
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Trade Education, Outreach and Advocacy
International Business Resource Network
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Trade-mission Management
Export Management
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The NDTO offers a program called "Export Tech," where real-life companies will come in—one full day per month for three consecutive months—and the companies actually get trained and coached on how to develop a market plan for a new market. Some are new-to-exports, some are experienced, but as Gorder explains, it really helps them refine the process of identifying and attacking the international marketplace. "Most of the content is provided by experts in the field," he says. "So we bring in bankers and lawyers and contract experts so that participants are getting real-world information." "It’s much more hands-on than a typical course. The lawyer who's up in front of the class that day—we use some from Fargo and some from Minneapolis—it’s very likely they just got back from China or Russia."
TAKE
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North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) ndto.com 811 2nd Ave. N, #284, Fargo 701-231-1150
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The NDTO has a full-time staff member who works exclusively in this area.
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To illustrate the Trade Office's export-management services, Gorder recalls a recent issue they resolved at a shipping port in Eastern Europe.
Gorder explains the benefits of that. "If you think of our member population, some of them are large companies like an RDO, but many more of them are relatively small companies," he says. "If you're a small company, you look at the resources you have available to you. "What we do is we pool all those small companies together, they pay us a membership fee, and we go out and buy software packages that the smaller companies could never or would never buy on their own because they’re expensive. They can also call us, give us the parameters that they’re looking for, and we can actually go in and do market research for them."
“There was a company from western North Dakota that was shipping some cattle equipment into Kazakhstan," he says. "They used the port in Riga, Latvia, and it got stuck in the port. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got an issue because the buyer’s not going to pay in full until they have the equipment, and the seller was having difficulty getting it through the port of Riga. So they called me. “I just called the shipping company directly, and what had happened is there was confusion on how the documents were supposed to be communicated. They had sent me the contract so I looked at it and I said, ‘Okay, there’s a Telex number.’ ‘Oh, jeez, we missed that.’ So they Telexed the information to that number and within a day, it’s up. "The executive I was working with just didn’t know what questions to ask, but they can contact us, and somebody in this office has usually seen it before. It at least gives you a place to start.”
Perhaps the highest-profile of everything the Trade Office does, Gorder and his team routinely lead trade missions around the world— to Egypt, Israel, China, India, and Colombia, just to name a few. They're responsible for organizing meetings, doing background research and understanding who the players are in a given industry. Gorder explains that it's about more than just going to the countries, though. "One of the key elements when you go on one of these outbound trade missions is that you get them to come back to the state," he says. "So we do reverse trade missions, and then at each Big Iron, we do a large reverse trade mission. This year, I think we had about 125 foreign buyers from 11 different markets. "The whole point of that is that, in the modern era, we get very used to emailing and calling and we think that’s good enough. Many points in the world still really require a faceto-face. You have to get to know somebody. We've found that the people, the business style and the hospitality of our region are some of the biggest selling points we have. People, when they leave here, go, 'It’s just a comfortable place.'"
What A company's name and logo—while seemingly straightforward on the surface—are often the product of days, weeks, even months (!) of internal discussions, redesigns and arguments about which shade of blue is the best representation of the brand. So we asked five area companies, "What's in a name?" Their answers didn't disappoint.
? e m a N t's in a BlackRidgeBANK NAME
The motivation for our name, BlackRidge, came from a desire to deviate from the traditional paradigm of banknaming. Typically, the words “state” or “national” are used, along with an element of the local geography—“river" or "plains"—a city name or a family name.
Codelation NAME
When we started in 2008, we incorporated under the name "81designs" and about three years ago renamed as "Codelation." We were being seen as more of a design and marketing agency, but our strength was more in app and web development. When we were looking to rebrand, we wanted something with "code" in the name but we also wanted a good .com domain. We landed on Codelation, as we played off of the idea of code + elation, which really just fit with our view of what good code should be.
LOGO
The logo for Codelation is meant to represent code brackets < >.
Instead, myself and BlackRidge Executive Vice President Craig Weiss had a clear vision to create a unique, non-traditional banking organization—one centered on a solutions-focused and client-centric experience that was clearly unique by first impression. Josh Christy Founder
After consulting with Craig, what stood out were two words, which, when combined, conveyed core brand attributes of this new organization: strength, professionalism, prestige and performance. “Black”—being in the black is better than being in the red, right?—and “ridge," reflecting steady, advancing progress,
Mark Anderson President
like the peaks on a financial graph showing year after year of positive performance levels.
LOGO
Graphically, these brand attributes are reflected in the logotype—created in 2005 by local graphic designer Shannon Charpentier—which uses a combination of peak symbols with our formal name, BlackRidgeBANK.
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Webblen NAME Mukai Selekwa Founder
When thinking of our name, we wanted something simple yet unique at the same time. It had to be able to give an impression to give an idea of what the business is about but at the same time be something that we can give our own meaning to. When thinking of a company that heavily utilizes tools of the internet, or even the "web", we decided to go with Webblen. A name that is simple, memorable, and both gives a
good idea of what the company is about and it has the ability to mean much more.
LOGO
Marriage usually requires a ring. For us, the ring represents the unification of different web services onto a single platform. The ring is also meant to represent the strong relationship we want to have with our customers.
MSPIRE 2012
PRx Performance
NAME
When I officially started my business in July 2012, I had no clue what I was going to name it. But because I fully understood the importance of a name, I pulled together a focus group of marketing peers and family members and started the creative process.
NAME
The PRx Performance name comes from the following: • PR – “Personal record" From exercise to life, the PRx customer is always striving to hit a new PR. It’s a reminder that we’re all on our own personal journey to be the best that we can be.
• Performance – The optimal execution of a prescribed workout. A promise to yourself to be #bettereveryday
One common theme that came back was that, by nature, I’m inspiring. I’ve also always been drawn to "m" words, and so they began to flow: mindful, marketing, magic, motivation, mission, McKinnon (my last name), momentum, and thus MSPIRE came to life. The "M" stands for all those things and more, with the foundation of the word "inspire" subliminally infused.
LOGO
LOGO
• Rx – “As Prescribed" To do things the way we should in the gym and in life.
Orange is both a powerful color and my favorite. When we approached our design firm, they asked what colors we wanted, and I just told them we wanted something vibrant and that popped. 58
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2016
Brian Brasch CEO
I believe in branding so much that I recently went through a rebrand myself. I evolved as a business owner, and so my focus shifted. Therefore, my logo, tagline, colors and beyond needed to as well. My previous
Amanda McKinnon CEO tagline was “Mindful Marketing, Inspired.” Now, it’s “Your Mission. Our Marketing Magic.” When I started off, everything had a more corporate feel because that’s what I thought customers wanted. When I started asking, they said it wasn’t me. They were right. I’m not corporate. I’m a snarky, fun-having, get-it-done kind of person. I’m a "Bodacious Brander," and now my brand represents that.
By Josh Christy
The Startup Journey: A
A
fter more than a decade working in design and software and founding multiple businesses and products, Codelation Founder Josh Christy understands one thing, above all else: The world of entrepreneurship is lonely, but it doesn't have to be. That's why he started a blogâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to not only help fellow CEOs and owners step around some of the holes he's fallen into but, perhaps more importantly, to help them discover (or rediscover) their "why." The "why," he believes, is what will keep you grounded during those highest of highs and what will pull you out of those lowest lows. Christy will be publishing new posts numerous times a month on his own website, and each month in Fargo INC!, we'll be sharing one or two of them with our readers. If the material is something you're connecting with and wanting more of, don't be afraid to visit joshchrsity.com/blog to subscribe and get them sent directly to your email.
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Find the Why
We all have an idea of what we want to be when we grow up. You find that perfect intersection of something that you love and are just good enough at, and you start to get excited. The excitement is overwhelming, but slowly you start to think: Am I really good enough? Should I do this? Why me? At this tipping point, we either dig in and go for it, or we chalk it up to another silly idea. What usually separates those two is someone standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you, encouraging, and helping guide you through life, family, and business.
Portrait by Paul Flessland
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Find the Why Continued
There are so many distractions, so many things that feel like they are priority No. 1, and when everything is a priority, nothing is. Whether you are just starting out or your company has been around for a while and looking to take things to the next level, I’ve been there. For the last eight years, I’ve been running a digital consultancy and custom software shop. We’ve had some great success, as well as some pretty low points. We’ve started a few products, and some worked and some failed. In all this time, I’ve come to believe that you
need a plan and someone to help encourage you when you hit those low points—to help you find the "why". Having a plan doesn’t guarantee success, however, if you don’t have a North Star that you are going after, how do you know when you’ve won? If you are anything like me, you’ll lose interest and give up, even with a strong why. That drive is why I started this blog, to help those who are in the process of starting or working on building something. Hopefully, I can be someone to help drive you forward and ask questions of when you aren’t sure.
In all this time, I’ve come to believe that you need a plan and someone to help encourage you when you hit those low points—to help you find the
W H Y
.
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Enough Planning, Start Doing
This post is as much for me as it is for anyone else. I’m working on getting going on some video content and I found myself recently flipping through after-effect files on VideoHive. I’ve been telling my friends and clients who are working on starting something that planning is great, but stop at some point and start doing and get yourself out of planning paralysis. I was giving the advice but not listening to it myself. Now, granted, it was just 30 minutes or so, but I’ve been putting off doing for some reason.
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To get Josh's new blog posts sent directly to your email or to read past posts, visit: joshchristy.com/blog Codelation codelation.com 616 Main Ave., Fargo 866-572-6337
BUSINESS
WISDOM
I think it is the fear that if I really put myself out there and it doesn’t work, it might be a failure. I’m not sure. If we are in search of perfection, we’ll never know if it has any value to anyone. I need this myself as much as some of you out there. So for all you planners out there, stop. Just stop. Get out there. You need to test something, fall down, get up and learn. Just start doing. Now I’m not saying blindly rush out into the middle of the street because you’ll get hit by a car. But at some point, we need to stop pondering and reading and listening and get out and do. Yes, I feel the irony of that statement as I am writing this article.
You don’t need to a/b test that button. Your business card isn’t ready. So what? You don’t have the perfect lighting setup for your video. Who cares? Do you feel like you’ve been working for a while and aren’t getting anywhere? Get a plan for first thing tomorrow morning to get out and take action. Need a new client? Get five lined up to call tomorrow. If you spend all your effort planning on the right way to script your sales call and realize that you can’t even get anyone on the phone, what’s the point? Try something, test, learn, iterate, improve. If you aren’t quite there yet and are still trying to figure things out, put a date on the calendar as your action date. Planning is great. Just don’t get paralyzed by it. Your future self will thank you. I know mine will. Now get out there and do and let me know how I can help you get there!
“The only thing that makes success in fundraising is being consistent.” SCOTT HOLDMAN Cofounder, FundingLogic 63
Fresh Face, Fresh Vision Callie Klinkmueller's
Top FIVE Priorities at the NDSU Research & Tech Park
A
fter falling out of love with her job at a trendy tech startup in Boston early last year, Callie Klinkmueller decided she wanted something a little more interpersonal.
By Callie Klinkmueller Photo by Paul Flessland
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"It was great," says Klinkmueller, who relocated to Fargo in September 2016. "The people were amazing and it was a great environment to work in, but I didn't really get to do a lot of communicating with people. It was pretty much just me and my computer and it bummed me out."
That'll be a non-issue at her new gig as the communications and program coordinator for the NDSU Research & Technology Park (RTP), where she'll split her time about 50-50 between serving as a onewoman marketing department for the Park and coordinating and promoting the Innovation Challenge, a yearly event that allows NDSU students to showcase their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial skills. She'll also be the lead contributor for the soonto-launch Tech Park blog where she'll be "telling (NDSU Technology Incubator) client stories and helping students succeed in their education and entrepreneurial endeavors." We asked Klinkmueller what she's most looking forward to working on in her new role, and this is what she came up with.
First Priority
Create an easy process through which Innovation Challenge students can start companies in our Tech Incubator The Innovation Challenge is designed to help NDSU students learn the value of innovative thinking and how to successfully pitch an idea. Even though the Innovation Challenge is an idea competition rather than a business-plan competition, we have seen some amazing companies develop out of Innovation Challenge in the past few years. I would like to think of the Innovation Challenge Awards Banquet as the starting point of our interaction with the students rather than just the finish line for Innovation Challenge. If students are interested in starting a company, we want to provide them with the tools they need to succeed, hopefully beginning with space in the Tech Incubator.
BUSINESS
WISDOM
“People often think business is very separate, especially if someone is in the nonprofit or the education sphere. But we’re all impacted. We all know people who own businesses, we all go to businesses, and they’re a huge part of our community and jobs.” BRITTANY SICKLER Economic Development Specialist, US Small Business Administration
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Get to Know
Callie • From just outside Boston, Mass. • Had never been to North Dakota before accepting a position working in tourism in Medora, N.D., from May October 2015 • Graduated in 2015 with a degree in strategic communication from High Point University, a private, liberal arts university in central North Carolina • Is an avid photographer and singer. She even auditioned for the Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists before she got a job here. • Loves exploring the culinary scene in new cities (She asks that you send her your FM recommendations.)
Second Priority
Get the Fargo entrepreneurial community more involved with the Innovation Challenge
As a Fargo newbie, I really didn’t know what to expect when it came to entrepreneurship, but it is really thrilling what is happening here. There is such a wide variety of organizations working toward the same goal of helping fledgling companies in the area, and the best part is that we all work together. The collaboration is what I think makes Fargo the best place to start a business because you are sure to get access to what you need, no matter who you meet with first. That being said, I want to get this wonderful community more involved in Innovation Challenge. These innovative students are the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I want to help integrate them into the community and vice-versa.
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Third Priority
The
Startup Game Do you ever hear the name of a startup and think, "Well that sounds made up."?
Focus on creating culture and connections within the Incubator
Us, too. That's why we created the Startup Game, where we read a lucky contestant the names of 10 startups—some that are real FM companies and others that are fake—and ask them to figure out which is which.
The RTP (Research & Technology Park) Tech Incubator is home to brilliant and innovative people, and I want to help those people connect. Because so many of these startups are in different stages of development, there is a great opportunity to share experiences, advice, and passion with each other, and we want to help create more opportunities to bring these people together to socialize, learn, and create a real sense of place and belonging within the Incubator community.
Klinkmueller was our inaugural contestant, and boy, did she knock it out of the park. Despite being a Fargoan for all of three months, she went 8/10. See if you can beat her!
Fourth Priority
1) SmartRot 2) PasteMe 3) Myriad Mobile 4) FoodLink 5) Folkways 6) Klink 7) Peanut Buttr 8) Black Benefit 9) Protosthetics 10) Rock
Develop a communications and marketing strategy for the RTP
Answers
I adore social media and telling stories so I am so excited to be diving into the process of creating a marketing strategy for the RTP. It is challenging to me to have great conversations with interesting people and to learn more and more about my new community. As of now, the goal is to share the amazing work that is being done within and in conjunction with the RTP and how it relates to the community as a whole. I have already enjoyed writing for the RTP blog and I’m looking forward to applying an academic approach to the rest of the content I develop for 2017.
1. fake 2. fake 3. real 4. fake 5. real 6. real 7. real 8. fake 9. real 10. fake
BUSINESS
WISDOM
“Someone can tell you, ‘Hey, this is going to happen,’ until they’re blue in the face, but until you experience it yourself, it doesn’t really cement itself until you’ve gone through it. There’s always that hope that you’re the exception.” JOHN SCHNEIDER President & Cofounder, Fargo 3D Printing 69
Callie Klinkmueller's
"Top 3 Reasons I Chose Fargo" 1. Big city variety with a small-town feel I am overwhelmed by the variety of arts organizations, restaurants and communities to participate in. Fargo offers a lot of options while maintaining the small-town community feeling that drew me to North Dakota in the first place.
2. Energy and support for startups and small business Fargo is home to a thriving variety of startups and small businesses, and it is inspiring to see the community so involved in supporting these entrepreneurial efforts. Events such as 1 Million Cups, Startup Drinks, and Innovation Challenge allow for businesses and ideas to form and grow while getting valuable feedback from their biggest fans and supporters. You can feel the energy here. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an electric environment to walk into.
3. The opportunity to work with smart students and a great team Every time I meet with a student about their Innovation Challenge idea, I feel like I am getting a glimpse into the future. They are seeking out innovative solutions to a wide range of issues facing the Fargo community, as well as the global community. The team here at the Research Park has been so wonderful in helping me to settle in and navigate my new home. I am very excited to work alongside such smart and innovative people.
Fifth Priority
Create more awareness and collaboration between NDSU students and faculty and the RTP Lastly, I want to help strengthen the collaboration among the companies in the RTP and NDSU students and faculty. We want our companies to collaborate with NDSU in research and technology and want to provide faculty and students with educational opportunities in their field with our companies. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what the future holds for this partnership because it has endless opportunities for success for our companies and for NDSU.
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NDSU Research & Technology Park ndsuresearchpark.com 1854 NDSU Research Circle N, Fargo 701-499-3600
THE ART OF SPACE
INTRODUCING APT: A CREATIVE INCUBATOR By Mike Allmendinger Photos courtesy of Kilbourne Group, Kaija Thorson & Dayna Del Val
I
f you love Downtown Fargo, it’s likely that you appreciate diversity, beauty, culture, art and unique experiences. You perhaps enjoy unexpected run-ins with friends, knowing you are supporting your neighbors when you shop, being surrounded by history and culture, and having the option to walk between buildings instead of drive.
Mike Allmendinger General Manager, Kilbourne Group kilbournegroup.com 210 Broadway N, Fargo 701-237-2279
The ongoing revitalization of Downtown takes a village. It takes people choosing to live and work in the neighborhood. It takes entrepreneurs and dreamers to take the leap and start businesses and create experiences. It takes a commitment from the city to maintain the infrastructure. And it takes private investors assuming the
risk and injecting capital into Downtown. It also requires a strong community of artists and culture creators—those who amplify all that is unique about Fargo and its people. We think Laura Zabel of Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, Minn., captured this essence when she said, “Artists are people who know place, love place, and will use their creativity to tap into its potential and opportunities.” This past summer, Kilbourne Group and The Arts Partnership began a conversation about shining a light on the arts as a community-development asset. How can we, in a concrete way, demonstrate to the Fargo region the vital role that the arts play in making this a great place to live? Kilbourne Group is about creating great spaces and unique experiences in Downtown Fargo, developed in smart,
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Just a Few... Founding APT Members Pictured (from left to right): Kaija Thorson, Melissa Steedsman, Nathen Jensen, Lexie & Nayt Rundquist, John David Berdahl
sustainable ways that benefit the whole city. That often means developing the highest utilization of a space to get more value out of it, combining resources to make projects happen and finding beauty in the in-between spaces.
Park. A former service garage becomes a theatre, a tasting room, an art gallery and more. What could artists do with 11,000 square feet of subdivided, move-in-ready office space?
resources through creative sharing. The mission of APT is to provide a creative, collaborative, and safe place for artists to make art and for the community to collide with it.
What if there were a space where artists could test the same concepts? The Arts Partnership and Kilbourne Group held a meeting of the arts community outside the Broadway Theatre Garage in late June to talk about the unique characteristics of the spaces artists desire in which to create, perform and sell their work. The idea of a shared creative space for the Fargo-Moorhead community developed.
The building at 225 4th Ave. N is scheduled for redevelopment in December 2018 so leases are short-term—two-years at max. Its characteristics align with what artists are looking for in a shared space. With an incredible amount of work and planning on behalf of The Arts Partnership to connect the arts community with the concept and vision—and space and seed capital from Kilbourne Group—APT was born.
By partnering to create a first home for APT, The Arts Partnership and Kilbourne Group invite other community partners to join in this exciting endeavor and find creative ways to work with and support APT. While 225 4th Ave. N is a two-year, temporary demonstration space for the arts, our goal is to be so successful at engaging the larger community that when it comes time to find a permanent home, APT knows exactly where it’s going and how to get there.
At Kilbourne Group, we’ve experienced the power of temporary activations of our space. A nondescript alley becomes a unique community event venue. A vacant gas station becomes Sudden
APT is a creative incubator. This includes studio spaces, gallery walls, and rental areas for arts workshops, classes, rehearsals, performances and more. APT centralizes support and maximizes
Dayna Del Val, executive director of The Arts Partnership, is designing and leading APT to be a suitable space for creatives to thrive. In a nurturing, shared, safe, and creative environment, individual artists
BUSINESS
WISDOM
“I don’t believe there’s such a thing as self-made men. I’m a product of my environment and the people around me who have held me up when I couldn’t stand on my own.” ERIK HATCH Owner, Hatch Realty
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Meet An Artist A founding member of APT, Kaija Thorson (Art by Kaija Lea) is a graphic designer by trade, but it wasn't until a few years ago that she discovered her passion for illustration. She uses both traditional and digital mediums to create her pieces, using mostly inks, brush markers and watercolors. Some of her recent illustrations have been seen on billboards (Hatch Realty), Albino Buffalo stickers (series 2), a phone app (GoDoo) and greeting cards. Her digital art portraits have been a successful venture over the past two years as well. She has created more than 75 pieces thus far, commissioning mostly through her website and Etsy. Check her out at artbykaijalea.com
of all types will grow their own artistry, receive more recognition for their art, and join a communal artistic practice of excellence that also serves the larger community through programming, access to the arts and by providing a gathering location in a highly creative space. The Arts Partnership and Kilbourne Group seek to demonstrate that a healthy arts presence is a vital part of our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure, paving the way for a sustainable, long-term shared arts space. We welcome you to be part of our dedicated team of diverse art-supporters working to support start-up artists in their risk-taking and collaboration. Downtown Fargo is a thriving arts scene, and for that we are grateful.
#SupportLocalArt
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Kilbourne Group kilbournegroup.com 1222 4th Ave. N, Fargo 701-566-9769 The Arts Partnership theartspartnership.net 1104 2nd Ave. S, #315, Fargo 701-237-6133
JANUARY 2017
January 3 A PREVIEW OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS
BUSINESS EVENTS
CALENDAR
Tuesday, 7:30 - 9 a.m. January is an important month in Minnesota and North Dakota, as it marks the beginning of both legislative sessions. After an interesting election season and with changes being made on both the national and statewide levels, many things will be examined. You will hear from Andy Peterson, president of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, as he shares what the state chamber will be working toward this year and how it could affect your business. Jennifer Byers, Vice President of Grassroots & Chamber Relations at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, will outline the Minnesota Chamber’s priorities and discuss how a local chamber can have a key role in those efforts. Registration (includes breakfast) • Chamber Members $30 in advance, $35 at the door • Non-members $40 in advance, $45 at the door
Andy Peterson
Jennifer Byers
FMWFChamber.com Courtyard by Marriott FargoMoorhead 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead
#FMWFEggs
January 3-5
ADDY CALL FOR ENTRIES
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Your work is as good as gold. Shine as your most brilliant work goes up against other local creatives and savor the recognition you’ll receive. Each year, creatives contend for the best in North Dakota. Local winners move forward to the District 8 contest. District winners then move forward to the national American Advertising Awards competition. Entry Fees • Single Entry (AAF-ND Member) $65 • Campaign Entry (AAF-ND Member) $85 • Single or Campaign Entry (Student) $30 • Single Entry (Non-member) $95 • Campaign Entry (Non-member) $115
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How to Enter • Download the complete rules and regulations at AAF-ND.org • Pick up official envelopes at the specified drop-off locations below or e-mail president@aaf-nd.org to request to have envelopes delivered to you. • Deliver your entries at your choice of these three locations: Showplace Kitchens 2553 Kirsten Lane, Fargo Network Center 487 S. University Drive, Fargo Super Studio 630 1st Ave. N, Suite D, Fargo
#FMWFTraining
Jeff Johnson
January 17 Stephanie Schroeder
January 11 CULTURE TALK: GIVING A VOICE TO YOUR BIGGEST BRAND ADVOCATES Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Companies often focus their efforts on building brand ambassadors outside their organization. And while remaining dedicated to client and customer satisfaction is vital to any company’s success, it’s important that organizations don’t overlook their biggest, most accessible brand advocates in the process.
Hear from Stephanie Schroeder, vice president of marketing for Discovery Benefits, as she discusses the importance of building brand advocates both inside and outside the organization. She’ll also explain the role that company culture plays in turning employees into brand ambassadors and cover methods for encouraging employees to vocalize their advocacy.
This training qualifies for 2 CPE credits for the ND CPA Society. Registration (includes lunch) • Chamber Members $27 in advance, $32 at the door • Non-members $40 in advance, $45 at the door FMWFChamber.com Hilton Garden Inn 4351 17th Ave. S, Fargo
AAF-ND PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER LUNCHEON: JEFF JOHNSON Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The owner and creative director of Minneapolis-based design firm Replace, Jeff Johnson's work has been honored with inclusion in the Smithsonian Institute’s Cooper-Hewitt Collection of 20th Century American Design, the Minnesota Historical Society, Walker Art Center, The One Show, Graphis, AIGA, ID Magazine, Communication Arts and many others. Among his clients are Target, General Mills, Andrew Zimmern, Equal Exchange and Seward Coop. Johnson was featured in Steven Heller’s books, "The Design Entrepreneur - Rockport" and "Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World’s Great Graphic Designers." Locally, the man is treasured for having founded the Poster Offensive biennial political poster show, and the Hamilton Ink Spot, a fine-art poster print studio in Downtown St. Paul, Minn. You can register for the event on Eventbrite. AAF-ND.org Courtyard by Marriott 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead
January 12 STATE OF THE CITIES
Thursday, 8 - 9:30 a.m. Join the Chamber at this annual event that brings our community together to ask questions of the mayors of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, and Dilworth and talk about the cities’ growth, goals and priorities. Live polling lets the audience engage while sharing their opinions. Last year, attendees learned that workforce and flood protection were the issues most important to Chamber members. What will it be this year? To submit questions to the mayors, visit FMWFChamber.com or email EPeterson@ FMWFChamber.com
Registration (includes lunch) • Chamber Members $30 in advance, $35 at the door • Non-members $40 in advance, $45 at the door • Corporate Table Sponsorship (table of eight) $650
Tim Mahoney Mayor Fargo
Del Rae Williams Mayor Moorhead
FMWFChamber.com Holiday Inn 3803 13th Ave. S, Fargo
Chad Olson Mayor Dilworth
Rich Mattern Mayor West Fargo
#SOC17
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January 18 & 19 OPERATION THANK YOU (OTY) What is OTY? The Chamber's Operation Thank You has one mission: to say "thank you" to its members! This special event allows them to share with their membership new information and materials. This is their biggest ambassador-driven event of the year, and volunteers will be stopping by all member businesses to deliver new packets with the 2017 Metro Profile & Directory, new window clings, flyers and more. They'd love to have you join them in the fun. If you are a Chamber member, please consider volunteering and joining them to help say "thank you" to all their members.
Stuffing Party
Wednesday, January 18, 10 a.m. - noon Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead OTY kicks off with a stuffing party to assemble the more than 2,100 membership packets with new and important information. The best part is that if you help with stuffing the packets, you can select the organizations you would like to personally deliver to that day. Or just help assemble the packets. Please register online or call 218-2331100
on January 22 to personally hand-deliver all of the 2,100 membership packets. This plays an integral role in demonstrating gratitude to members as you travel around the area. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Mickayla at MThompson@ FMWFChamber.com To sign up to help, register at FMWFChamber.com or call 218-233-1100
Celebration Finale
Packet Pick-up
Thursday, January 19, 4 - 6 p.m. D-S Beverages, 201 17th St. N, Moorhead
There is no cost to attend any of these events.
Wednesday, January 18, 1 - 4 p.m. Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead
Your company could be in front of more than 2,100 member firms. To become an Operation Thank You sponsor today, contact Tracy Meckler at TMeckler@FMWFChamber.com or call 218-359-0527
Help the Chamber kick off packet delivery to their member businesses. Volunteers, stop by during this time to pick up your packets and get your route before hitting the road. Join us as we hit the streets on the afternoon of January 21 and all day
Operation Thank You wouldn’t be complete without a party to celebrate your successful day of connections and camaraderie. Join for some delectable treats as you share your experiences from the day and possibly win a prize. Must be present to win.
January 24 January 19 1 MILLION THANKS
Thursday, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Let the countdown begin to the most anticipated event of the year. Come together to celebrate a tremendous year of growth for Fargo. We have seen so much success within the startup community and our city as a whole, and it would not be possible without you. Emerging Prairie is incredibly grateful for the supportive network they have and they want to express that gratitude. There will be delicious food, music and the signature champagne toast. The hope is to bring the community together to celebrate a fantastic year and look forward to 2017. Dress it up a little and get ready to pop some champagne. All are welcome. Cost is $25. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.com EmergingPrairie.com/Events Sanctuary Events Center 670 4th Ave. N, Fargo
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WOMEN CONNECT - MAKING TIME FOR YOU: SECRETS OF THE FRINGE HOURS
Tuesday, 3 - 5 p.m. (social: 5 - 6 p.m.) Are you always juggling something? Is it difficult to make time for you? If so, you aren’t alone, and it’s time for a change. Discover the secrets for finding "fringe hours" to do the things you love. From time-managements tips to why it is so critical to pursue your passions, national author Jessica N. Turner will empower you to change your life by practicing self-care. About the Speaker Turner is the author of the best-selling book “The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You” and the founder of the popular lifestyle blog, The Mom Creative. Additionally, she is an award-winning marketing professional and a writer for HuffPost Parents, Parenting.com and DaySpring’s (in)courage. Turner also has a monthly column in The Tennessean and is a regular guest on WSMV's “Talk of the Town.” Please consider bringing personal care items such as toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, etc., to donate to women and children at the YWCA Cass Clay shelter.
Registration • Chamber Members $40 in advance, $50 at the door • Non-members $60 in advance, $70 at the door FMWFChamber.com Holiday Inn 3803 13th Ave. S, Fargo
Jessica Turner
#FMWFWC
All attendees receive a free copy of Jessica’s book, “The Fringe Hours”
DOWN THE ROAD BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Thursday, February 2, 4:30 6:30 p.m. FMWFChamber.com Holiday Inn Fargo 3803 13th Ave. S, Fargo
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FORUM Wednesday, February 15, noon - 1:30 p.m.
FMWFChamber.com Ramada Plaza Fargo Hotel & Conference Center 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo
DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE January 27-29 BOAT & MARINE PRODUCTS SHOW
Friday-Sunday North Dakota’s largest Boat Show is back at the Fargodome. See the latest in fishing boats, pontoons, wakeboard boats, personal watercraft, and more, all at Boat Show pricing. See the latest in electronics and take in fishing and fishing-electronic seminars daily. Ticket Info Tickets are available at the door on the days of the event only. • Adults $8.00 • Children (ages 6-12) $2.50 • Children (ages 5 and under) Free Daily Hours January 27 - noon - 9 p.m. January 28 - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. January 29 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. FargoBoatShow.com Fargodome 800 N. University Drive, Fargo
Wednesday, May 31 Thursday, June 1
EmergingPrairie.com/DroneFocus-Conference Location TBD
MONTHLY MEETUPS* ··Bitcoin Meetup ··Cass-Clay Subcontractor Sales & Marketing Meetup ··Geek Meet FM ··Girl Develop It ··Fargo 3D Printing Meetup ··Fargo Cashflow Game Night ··Fargo Entrepreneurship Meetup ··Fargo Virtual Reality Meetup ··Fargo-Moorhead Content Strategy ··The Fargo-Moorhead Real Estate Investing Meetup ··Master Networks – Fargo Business Referral Group ··Mobile Meetup Fargo ··Moorhead Entrepreneurship Meetup ··Prairie Dawg Drupal ··Red River Valley Big Data – Midwest Big Data Hub Meetup *All meetups above (except Bitcoin Meetup) can be found at meetup. com/cities/us/58102. If interested in the Bitcoin Meetup, please contact alarson@myriadmobile.com
FM
Fargo INC!, Fargo Monthly and GoFargoJobs.com bring you a section dedicated to careers in Fargo-Moorhead Inside you'll find THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS + TOP JOBS
R E E R CA R E D N I F
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TOPJOBS Management Assistant Site Manager
County Administrator
Goldmark strives to make a positive impact on the lives of others. An opportunity is available to serve those looking for or living in apartment homes we manage. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re accepting applications for caring and dedicated candidates for full and part-time positions with opportunities for advancement.
Formulate and implement strategic plans and policies and coordinate general business operations necessary to carry out the strategic plan of Cass County Government.
Fargo
Apply:
Fargo
Visit www.goldmark.com/careers
How do I apply? Director of Market Sales
CEO
The Director of Market Sales is responsible for planning and administering sales policies and programs to foster and promote hotel patronage for two or more properties in more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM a single market area.
The YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties Board of Directors is seeking a leader who will advocate the YMCA vision within the community by serving as ambassador for the mission, goals and values of the YMCA.
Fargo
Spotlight Media
Project Manager Fargodo I apply? How Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution and control of specific projects ensuring consistency with company strategy, commitments and goals.
more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM
Fargo
Pricing Strategy Manager
Fargo
The Pricing Strategy Manager will be responsible for leading day-to-day operations of the pricing strategy team according to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission, culture, service philosophy, and meeting the goals and objectives set forth by the Board, Executive Committee and Officers Council.
Marketing/Advertising Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Assistant General Manager/Booking Manager
Spotlight Media Marketing Director
Fargo
Fargo
Assistant General Manager position is broadly responsible for all aspects of the Scheels Arena Brand. Specifically, this would include facility operations, facility cleanliness, event scheduling and operations, research, e-marketing, digital media, corporate and ticketing sales.
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The Marketing Director will need to be a strong leader who has a proven track record in driving results and showing new and improved methods of leading an organization.
gofargojobs.com
TOPJOBS Customer How do I apply? Service
Sales
Career Opportunities
Sales Associate
Thief River Falls, Minn. Digi-Key is currently seeking detail-loving, passionate employees to join our Inbound Sales and Product Distribution Center (PDC) teams. If you enjoy providing more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM superior customer service or working in a fast-paced environment, apply now to find your new career today! Apply:
Visit www.digikey.com/careers
Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)
Customer Service Representative
Fargo
The Customer Service Representative's (CSR) principle objective is to provide superior customer service to customers, crew members, and passengers.
Technology Spotlight Media
Fargo
A career at GoodBulb is an opportunity to be part of something unique; to Be Good , as our saying goes. infocompany at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;remore a small that is looking to add to our inside sales team.
Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)
How do I apply? Sales Specialist-Dental
Fargo
Patterson Dental is looking for entry to mid level, tech savvy sales professionals who strive for success, seek career growth and desire for continuous learning and unrestricted income. more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM
Accounting/Finance Fargo, ND
Sr. How Software do I apply? Engineer
Credit Analyst How doReview I apply?
The opportunity involves building high-quality software within a team of developers on diverse projects in areas including augmented reality, visualization and animation, data mining and analysis, and system integration on more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM mobile, web, and desktop platforms.
Western State Bank is looking for a Credit Review Analyst to join our growing team in West Fargo. The Credit Review Analyst is responsible to work in a collaborative effort with other internal teams to improve asset quality and avoid undue credit risk.
Fargo
Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Business SpotlightOperations Media Associate How Fargodo I apply? You will work in close partnership with the Fargo Site Leader, the Fargo Executive Briefing Center Manager, and the Internal Communications & Programs Manager in order to provide seamless support to the Executive Briefing Center and the Customers and Partners we serve.
Fargo
Manufacturing Project Leader Fargo, ND
Fargo
How do I apply?
As Project Leader at Melet Plastics, your primary responsibility will be the management of new product development projects from start to finish.
more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM
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JANUARY 2017
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