SEPTEMBER 2020
From Intern To President & CEO:
// SEPTEMBER 2020
FEATURES
24 Sponsored Content: Alerus: Guiding Your Through Your Business Life Stages 30 Sponsored Content: Brent Erpelding is Not Lucky
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36 The Road From Intern To President And CEO Of The Minnesota Twins 52 11 Pieces Of Great Business Advice 77 Nonprofit Of The Month: Unseen
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84 100% Employee-Owned 91 Faces of Fargo Business: Kevin Burke 94 Cool Offices: H2M 106 Will A.I. Take Your Job? 108 Ladyboss Of The Month: Colette Campbell
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110 5 Ways To Improve Your Cash Flow 114 10 Questions With John Machacek: WeClean 118 Kesler 120 Understanding the Value of Failure: Two Key Tools 123 Business Events Calendar
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E d i t o r ’s n o t e
From Intern To President and CEO
T
his month's cover story on President and CEO of the Minnesota Twins, Dave St. Peter, is inspirational for any person out their currently working as an intern. It serves as a reminder that your days won't always consist of low-level tasks. However, the article should also serve as a reminder to those out their hiring interns to value them as potential future employees. The Minnesota Twins helped nurture St. Peter as a professional and they're better off for it now. You never know which of your interns could be a future C-level employee at your company. So, remember to keep your interns involved.
Treat them like they are members of the team and invest in their development.
Brady Drake Brady Drake Fargo INC! Editor
Brady Drake, Fargo INC! Editor
fargoinc@spotlightmediafargo.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
President
United Way of Cass-Clay
Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things. -Theodore Levitt Each night in our local community, 1,022 people are homeless. Parents, children, teenagers, neighbors – each person deserving of a chance and opportunity. We believed innovation was needed to solve this community issue. Instead of asking “How do we help the homeless?” We asked “How do we prevent homelessness from happening in the first place?” We found the solution and believe we can prevent homelessness for 90% of local children and families by 2023. I encourage you to take a moment to learn more at unitedwaycassclay. org. Together, we can innovate for a better community.
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Director of Ecosystem
Emerging Prairie
I've been trying to practice more gratitude. On my own LinkedIn page, I shouted out those who have made a difference in my life. I was surprised by how energizing it was to take a couple minutes to think about those most important to me. (It's something I encourage everyone to do.) However, after I got done with my little exercise, I realized that a lot of my professional growth is because of this community. The FM area accepted me willingly, gave me multiple chances to fail and grow and connected me with those most important to me. At the heart of Emerging Prairie is community. I've been enjoying all the walk and talks in Island Park. As the weather starts to get cold, I encourage all of us to think about how we all can keep community strong as we retreat indoors.
Acquisitions/Communication
Moore Holding Company
Golf legend Ben Hogan often said he “dug his answers out of the dirt” – meaning, he practiced … a lot, often hitting balls until his hands bled. For Hogan, a golfer widely considered to have the best swing ever, there were no shortcuts. He put in the work, because that’s the only way he knew how to find progress. The best among us seldom succeed purely on talent or luck, although those are certainly part of it. Committed practitioners know that hard work and perseverance are the variables they control.
Communications and Marketing Officer
FM Area Foundation
As we head into the new school year, we know it is going to look different. However, the FM Area Foundation’s commitment to supporting student’s education remains the same. We are proud to say we have recently awarded $267,728 in scholarships to students from our 50+ scholarship funds. These funds are created by generous individuals, families and businesses to provide financial assistance for students pursuing higher education and training. We want to wish all students, teachers and staff the best of luck in the upcoming school year.
Ozbun Executive Director of Entrepreneurship
NDSU College of Business
Small is the new big. Microschools, small group events, and oneon-ones have replaced conferences and full classrooms. At NDSU, we have learned that these small groups increase social accountability when done right. We are moving Zoom classes into Zoom breakout rooms, large events into cohortbased projects, and lectures into streaming conversations. This fall, take advantage of the moment to increase social accountability through personal, small relationships. With focus and connection, more gets done faster. This lesson is something we can all learn and use for years to come.
VP of Finance and Operations
FMWF Chamber of Commerce
Ten years ago, The Chamber as we know it today had just come together, as the Fargo Moorhead Chamber merged with the West Fargo Area Chamber. This past decade has been full of success, incredible moments, much growth and success, and lots of hard work along the way. As I reflect back on my 18 years here, a key theme is that we’ve always tried to help. Merging with West Fargo in 2010 helped us become a true communitybased organization. Since then, we’ve made a focus to be inclusive of all the cities we represent. Getting involved in policy work is one of the ways we’ve done that, getting involved in both states to represent our members on both sides of the river. On behalf of our entire Chamber team, I want to thank you for your support this past decade. We’re so proud of what we have accomplished together and can’t wait to keep serving you in the decades yet to come.
Chief Innovation Officer
President & CEO
Founder and Director
Greater FM Economic Development Corporation
Dakota Business Lending
The Executives Club of Fargo - Moorhead
I want to take this moment to inform you (or update you) on our local Startup Digest Fargo. This is a platform provided by Techstars and I have been the local curator for over four years. The website and my bi-weekly emails had primarily been focused around a community calendar of entrepreneurial and small business events. However, Techstars updated the platform and format away from a calendar, and towards a true digest.
Throughout the past couple of months, our team has been tossing around the words “new normal.” After all, life as we knew it has changed, and it’s hard not to wonder what the “new normal” will look like from here on out. What will education look like? How will sports work? And how will the businesses operate? The list goes on and on.
As a kid, what was your dream job? For me, it was artist, a cartoonist, in particular. But as a teenager of the 80’s, (the original MTV generation) my dream quickly shifted to producing music videos.
The information I curate is for the most part targeted at entrepreneurs but I really encourage you to check out the past issues…and maybe even register for it…to get a better picture of what I’m talking about. Our local entrepreneurial ecosystem is not JUST about THE entrepreneurs but it’s also about ANYONE who wants to help an entrepreneur. You may find it at www. startupdigest.com/fargo.
While many of these questions can’t be answered right now, there is one that can: what will my personal “new normal” look like moving forward? Throughout this time of shifting the way we do things, what new habits am I going to develop for my “new normal”? What new processes can I implement to make my job and my life more efficient? How will I be there for others and continue to provide resources and support to those around me? During these crazy times, we have an opportunity to be better in a way that we never saw coming. This month, let’s take some time and reflect on what we want our individual “new normals” to look like.
For 70% of us, our dream job changes as we grow older and develop, but what we wanted “to be when we grow up” usually still characterizes and resonates with us today. Why? Because it reflects a facet of our personality, tells a part of our story and helps us understand and appreciate our “why”. If you can identify and understand the thinking and passion behind your childhood dream job, it can become the key to improving performance and enjoyment of your current job, even if it isn’t specific to the career you dreamed of. Dig in, discover, and appreciate your why.
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SEPTEMBER 2020 Volume 5 Issue 9
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We've watched the news. We've read the twitter updates. We've even chimed in on the comment sections. It's safe to say that our community is well-aware of what has been going on regarding racebased inequalities in the wake of the death of our neighbor George Floyd on May 25. But in the midst of debates, marches, protests and a whole lot of hurt and anger, what now? Here at Fargo Monthly, our priority is always to share the good in the community. And to be honest, it has been hard to find the positives in the midst of unrest. But that isn't to say that they don't exist, but rather they show themselves in different ways. Come with us as we hear from a number of community members and learn with us how to be a better conduit for positive change.
North Dakota State athletics has always been defined by tradition and success. Whether it is the recent success in the Division I era or the copious amounts of championships accrued in the Division II days, the Bison have always found a way to thrive. At Bison Illustrated, we are committed to putting that adherence to tradition on full display in every issue. However, where did that desire to succeed come from? We take a look at the past to help us understand why North Dakota State has been so successful in the present. Through notable teams, studentathletes, coaches and events, we take a deep dive into Bison athletics history and tradition. Coming Soon!
Look for our issue on ag tech products that this month! Read all past issues at futurefarmer.com
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ALERUS: GUIDING YOU THROUGH YOUR BUSINESS LIFE STAGES By Brady Drake 24
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From startup to succession there's no doubt that advice, funding and assistance are all vital for the success of your business. Because the need for each of these ebbs and flows with the evolution of your business and the world at large, there's no exact playbook a business can rely on to get to where they want to go. Decision making is dynamic and the options at each stage of development are limitless. Thankfully, the expert advisors at Alerus are here to help. Let's take a look at a few companies that have improved their business alongside Alerus.
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BRINGING DREAMS TO REALITY Like many in the medical field, Rick Schue, founder of Altaire Clinic, knew a lot about his practice, but he needed help when it came to opening his own business. The first thing Rick needed help with was projections. Jessica Hoppe, a senior business advisor at Alerus, worked after hours nearly every day to put together strong projections and get Altaire Clinic, a cosmetic and dermatology clinic in Fargo, launched.
Dr. Tamra Schue-Garberg and Rick Schue Owners of Altaire Clinic
"There was a question when I was starting if I would even have loan availability," said Rick. "When you're looking at just laser expenses, you're talking about half a million dollars on that alone. I wasn't the best with numbers. I had over 20 years of experience in dermatology but working with patients is totally different than working with numbers. Thankfully, Jessica was really good with numbers." Four years after opening the clinic with his daughter Tamra, Rick says he doesn't think things would be the same if he would've gone with another bank. Rick, Tamra, and Jessica have continued to work together on everything from understanding cash flow ratios to more recently the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application process.
"Our staff is basically a small family here and it was really important to make sure that all our staff was 100% taken care of and that no one was affected financially from the pandemic," said Tamra. "By midnight, we had our form submitted for the PPP. The next morning, the government changed the forms a little bit and Jessica helped us make those changes right away. We had our forms in weeks before our friends in the business community." While many of the employees in the business are like family, Rick and Tamra are family. Like many family-run businesses, Altaire Clinic was started by Rick with the intent to turn the business over to Tamra. Alerus helped out with this as well. "We talked about when it would be a good time to transition ownership over to Tamra and to make sure that they were comfortable and confident that the transition would leave them secure in retirement and financially stable for their golden years," said Hoppe.
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SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINED GROWTH
Justin Axness President of TF Powers
JESSICA HOPPE Senior Business Advisor at Alerus
Jessica is passionate about her work and committed to working in her clients’ best interests. As a trusted financial advisor, Jessica has great skill in offering valuable advice to clients to help them achieve their goals. She takes great pride in building strong relationships. Helping her clients succeed is the most rewarding part of her job.
Hoppe's work with Altaire Clinic is far from her lone foray into helping with ownership transition. One of the other companies she has assisted during her time is TF Powers. TF Powers was working on a unique transition of ownership from Dennis Giere to Justin Axness. The company didn't actually need financing to transition the ownership on the operating side of things; however, they did need financing for the real estate portion. "We were able to put together some very attractive structures and terms for the real estate portion of the financing," said Hoppe. "She was very instrumental in putting together the financing piece for the real estate portion. She's been really
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really good to work with and she's always gotten the job done for us," said Axness. Just like with Altaire Clinic, Hoppe's work with TF Powers has gone beyond a single aspect of the company's journey. She also helps them with their capital treasury management, 401k retirement plan, and their continued financing needs. "We have some really complex financial components in terms of different capital needs from a day to day or month to month basis. Sometimes we have projects that span multiple years," said Axness. "She just really seems to understand how our business works and she's really been a strong asset for us."
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HANDS-ON GUIDANCE TO FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE
Marshal Albright
President/CEO of Cass County Electric Cooperative Cass County Electric Cooperative began looking into Alerus in the 90s when they were searching for a new 401k provider. The company was already using Alerus for checking account processing and decided to consider Alerus as a 401k provider. Management at Cass County Electric had their employees vote between three companies to determine a new 401k manager. The employees chose Alerus. "I think it really gave the employees a sense of ownership being able to have a say," said Cass County Electric President and CEO Marshal Albright. Alerus is now the manager of a sizeable 401k plan for Cass County Electric Cooperative. "Alerus attends our employee information meetings annually to provide updates on investment performance, investment options, and retirement planning
tools and services. Ultimately, we want our employees to have the best experience to help them manage their retirement plans. Alerus also provides one-on-one financial wellness planning meetings for all of our employees," said Albright. Cass County Electric's high performing 401k plan has made the cooperative an even more attractive employer than they already were. Overall, employees are delighted with the performance of the 401k plan and the retirement planning services provided by Alerus. "I think one of the key things you'll find with Alerus is they're willing to listen and make recommendations," said Albright. "We've partnered with them on various changes in the 401k plan over the years, and they are able to accommodate everything.�
JON RENTZ Senior Business Advisor at Alerus
Jon Rentz joined Alerus in 2010 and has more than 10 years of experience in the financial industry. Prior to Alerus he started his career working in public accounting in Minneapolis, Minn. During his time at Alerus, Jon has served as staff accountant and spent almost four years as a commercial underwriter.
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A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON TRUST During JLG Architects' infancy, current President and Founder Lonnie Laffen was looking for a $50,000 investment in order to secure a computer system that would put them at the leading edge in the industry. Laffen thought he had the green light from another bank in the area, but they pulled the plug after speaking with the corporate headquarters. Thankfully, Alerus was there to help. "They were able to make those decisions themselves because they were locally owned and locally run," said Laffen. "They've now been our partner for 31 years. I've gotten to know everybody there as personal friends and I've gotten a lot of really valuable, free advice. It's gone way beyond a financial management level and is much more personal."
Lonnie Laffen Founder and President of JLG Architects
For example, one of the pieces of advice Laffen received from an Alerus employee was to keep those he was partners with at the same level of ownership to avoid conflicts. "When we go in to own
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a building, we're either all going in or none of us are going in," said Laffen. Although Laffen has consistently leaned on Alerus for "invaluable" small pieces of advice here and there, he has also worked with them during big shifts in the company's structure, including the launch of an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan). "We were trying to understand how we can have young people buy-in because eventually, you have to transition ownership of a company. There was a point where our company really took off. Our number of employees grew from 50 to 150 people essentially overnight and this brought us to a point where no young people in our organization could afford to buy-in. So, we started looking at an ESOP," said Laffen. "It was a great move for us. It gave us the ability to professionally find out what we were worth and gave us a path for our future."
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Styling by AJ Wilson, Halberstadt’s 30
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Brett Erpelding is Not Lucky The owner of Northland Vapor and Alpine Hemp has found success, regionally and nationally, thanks to strategic partners, continued expansions and a great team. By Alexandra Martin Photos by J Alan Paul Photography
he concept of "luck" is defined as success brought on by chance rather than through one's own actions. But good fortune and a spell of luck have nothing to do with how Brett Erpelding has transformed his vaping and CBD businesses into an empire. As with most success stories worth telling, Erpelding’s past was not along the straight and narrow. While he studied Chemistry at NDSU, some would say the most important part of his education came from the school of hard-knocks. His 20s were decorated with addiction, incarceration, rehab and everything that comes with those territories. When he met his now-wife, Renae, she was pregnant and he quickly assumed the role of father. Although not his biological son, Erpelding later adopted the child and was his parent from before birth. Taking on the job title “Dad” while also developing a business and trying to make the title “CEO” stick, his 2010s were fueled by grit and a lot of energy drinks. Now, those days are unapparent in Erpelding’s demeanor, save for the glimmer of childlike mischievousness that’s always in his eyes. Today Erpelding is a curious, unpresuming autodidact. To the passerby, he doesn't come off as a multi-million dollar business owner. And you certainly wouldn't guess that that success comes from developing high-quality vape and CBD products. The two main legs of Erpelding’s operation are Northland Vapor and Alpine Hemp. He began with Northland, developing and selling vape/eliquid products in 2015. This later lead him to CBD and the innumerable possibilities that came with it. His interest in the similar industries come from a harm-reduction philosophy and a desire to curb his cigarette habit. “After I had kid number one, I pawned my X-Box and got a vape so that I wouldn’t smoke,” he said. Not initially setting out to quit altogether, vaping allowed him to cut down on cigarettes, bit by bit until he didn’t reach for them anymore and he had successfully quit smoking. Seeing how helpful it was to him, Erpelding introduced vaping to his family of long-time cigarette smokers, and soon they were converted as well.
Erpelding became fascinated with the vape industry from a chemistry standpoint, too. He wanted to learn more about how it was made, how it worked and how it was healthier than cigarette smoking. “I suppose I like figuring out how things work. [Chemistry] came fairly easily to me, as I expect most people’s passions do,” he said. He began working at another local vape shop, absorbing more about the sales environment and store operations, in addition to vape as a whole. Having learned the ins and outs of the industry, Erpelding began experimenting with his own formulations and flavors. This entrepreneurial spirit was first practiced while still employed at the vape shop, but as things progressed, holding the day job and developing a new business was no longer viable. In the fall of 2015, he moved his operations to a 10-by-12 room in his mother’s basement. From this small, underground space, things began to take off. He found early success promoting his products on the popular online forum, Reddit. His first notable batch of sales came following a Black Friday promotion he shared on the web forum. Orders came in quicker than he had means to fullfil — not a bad problem for an infant business. Erpelding never intended on turning the online business into a brickand-mortar retail operation. But after two-and-a-half years of online sales out of his mother’s basement, the operation, unsurprisingly, outgrew the spare bedroom. So when an office space that included a retail storefront in downtown Moorhead came to him, he gave retail a shot. On the heels of partnering with a Colorado CBD/cannabis extraction company, Erpelding had the opportunity to take their raw materials and mix it with his knowledge of formulation. “As we started to bring more products in-house and make them ourselves, we saw the costs of those and it made more sense, we just needed a way to distribute them,” said Erpelding about deciding to go into brick-and-mortar. The customer-service arm of opening a retail location turned out to be a good fit in fulfilling Erpelding’s aspirations for the company. Erpelding has a big, warm heart and is a believer that you get back what you put into the world. And in this industry, a lot of that karmatic philosophy comes with educating customers. It wasn’t until the last five or so years FARGOINC.COM
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that CBD and vaping came onto the scene as big players. So naturally, there’s still a cloud of misinformation and a general lack of education about the products. Just as you’d want to go visit a doctor to get your ailments treated and looked into, Erpelding believes that shopping for CBD and vape products should have that same personal experience. “You want to talk to someone and touch the products and whatnot,” he said. By expanding into retail, he and his carefully-chosen store associates can have those one-on-one personal conversations, hand-selecting the best product for each customer. Staying true to a customer-first ideology, keeps Northland and Alpine true to their roots.
“We began realizing that strategic partners were an important part of continued growth. We’ve met some very good people and some of the strategic partnerships we’ve created essentially align us to be a vertically integrated company,” said Richards. From farmers growing the biomass to extractors to retail partners, Erpelding’s team has helped make connections between many entities in the process from soil to oil. “The main thing right now is to keep investing in the process, the efficiencies and growing the product line. And growing the integrations between them to make the company’s retail and online presence an asset, but to make it valuable in replicating that for other companies, too,” said Richards. Perfecting production, fulfillment and helping other retails businesses get started are the businesses’ current focuses, a far-cry from their origins in a residential basement.
The Synergistic Future Now fully off the ground and still growing, Alpine and Northland are expanding to new avenues. To the team, the most exciting development has been venturing into whitelabeling and blueprinting their process for easy replication. By creating a vibrant and engaging eCommerce platform, Erpelding was able to expand the company into a large warehouse and office space. From there, they began providing fulfillment services on a wider scale. He was able to build his own 3PL and can now help other companies in the industry build their own sites and eCommerce businesses. “We already addressed all the trials and tribulations, so they don’t have to experience the same learning curve we did,” said Andy Richards, Director of Marketing and Opportunities at Alpine Hemp. “And in that process, we have established the ability to create our own retail products and provide fulfillment, but now we can also white-label products for other people and provide services beyond that.” Furthering this concept, the team has enjoyed being able to make strategic introductions and connect the right people together. Networking is everything, and helping get the right people talking to each other has been huge for them. 32
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Triple Threat Erpelding's businesses operate under the triple bottom line framework. Triple bottom line is the belief that companies should balance their focus on not only profit but social and environmental concerns as well. Instead of a traditional bottom line, there are three: profit, people, planet. In this, Alpine Hemp is a 1% For The Planet member. Founded by Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia and Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% For the Planet is an international organization where members commit 1 percent of their gross revenue (whether the business is profitable or not) to environmental causes.
“Brett [Erpelding] is not lucky. Alpine’s not lucky. Northland’s not lucky. You have an owner who sees where markets are going and what he is doing is continuing growth and finding good people and building good business practices. But in the process of doing that, he is preparing himself for opportunities to happen, which some people perceive as luck,” said Richards. “But it’s not luck if you’re prepared for opportunities; you just get more opportunities. I would say Brett has evoked an environment – not only for himself, but for those who surround him – where opportunities happen and preparedness for those opportunities allow for success.” If you are looking to improve your quality of life visit www.alpinehemp.com and use code FF50 for 50% off your first order on CBD products. If you are a farmer, producer, or are looking to start your own CBD business, reach out to the Alpine team at support@alpinehemp.com.
the road from intern to president and ceo of the
1974 was the year Dave St. Peter first stepped foot into Metropolitan Stadium and got a glimpse of the Minnesota Twins. Nearly every year after, his sports-crazed family would pile in their station wagon and take a trip from his hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota to see the Twins play at the old stadium and, eventually, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. These trips were an important time for family bonding, a chance for entertainment and an opportunity for a young St. Peter to interact with some of his favorite players and even get their signatures. However, those trips also catalyzed St. Peter’s future career in professional sports. 36
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By Brady Drake Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography
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Media guides are frequently updated guides with useful statistical and historical information for broadcasters and journalists involved with the team.
hough St. Peter says baseball is the sport his father, a former Yankee fan who is now a fully converted Twins enthusiast, was most passionate about, he and his family of seven were just as passionate about football, golf and basketball. “We loved all sports and had a passion for all sports. While I was growing up, my favorite sport depended on the season,” said St. Peter. “I liked whatever sport I happened to be playing at the time. However, I did have a love affair with baseball very early on. Some of the things that have benefited me today around the history, traditions and understanding of the game were rooted in me at a very young age by my dad, grandparents and older brother.” That love for all sports stayed with St. Peter through his time in high school at Bismarck’s St. Mary’s and into his collegiate days at the University of North Dakota, where he gained passion for a new sport, hockey. “It was an unbelievable experience where I really grew up a lot socially and mentally. I really thought it was a great community to be a part of,” said St. Peter, “I loved the campus. I had a great experience in Grand Forks and I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of great people and made a lot of life long friends. I was able to find my niche and find my passion.” St. Peter found that niche through a mass communications course he took midway through his freshman year. The class got him thinking about a possible career in mass communication, broadcasting or journalism. Around the same time, a friend of his on the football team brought home a football media guide. “I thought it was a great book,” said St. Peter. “I had this passion for sports, history and statistics and the book put those things together. I found out the sports information office was responsible for [the books] and immediately realized that’s what I wanted to do. That I could build a career working in sports. UND gave me that first opportunity.” Pretty soon after discovering the media guide, St. Peter began volunteering at the school’s Sport’s Information Center. He would later go on to write for the Dakota Student and work for the Grand Forks Herald before graduating in 1989. 38
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The 1991 Twins celebrate the team’s second World Series Championship after a Game 7 pinch-hit walk-off RBI single by Gene Larkin in the bottom of the 10th. Minnesota Twins
Once graduated with a degree in Public Relations, St. Peter set out to start a professional sports career in any way he could. He found his opportunity with the Minnesota North Stars. “I was fortunate enough to get an internship with the Minnesota North Stars fresh out of UND. That really gave me a feel for professional sports and ever since then, I’ve felt like professional sports might be where I belong. I then went on to get an internship with the Twins and I’ve been with the Twins ever since.” While the internship with the North Stars was in Public Relations, the internship he took with the Twins at the beginning of 1990 was not. Instead, it was rooted in the marketing department with an emphasis on fan engagement. For the next year, St. Peter would work on initiatives like bat boy/girl programs and youth clinics. “It really helped me out and made me more well rounded and gave me a different view of different roles within an organization,” said St. Peter while looking back on his internship with the Twins. “I had a really great experience with that.” St. Peter’s internship with the Twins led to a full-time position where he was Manager at a Minnesota Twins retail store in Richfield, Minnesota. The only previous experience he had with retail was a high school job at Herberger’s.
“Honestly, I was green and I was thrown into the deep end of the pool, but I knew I had to do the best job I could in that environment,” said St. Peter. During his first year with the pro shop, sales skyrocketed, but he admits he didn’t have much to do with it. They rose naturally with the team winning the 1991 World Series in thrilling fashion against the Atlanta Braves. After the pro shop, St. Peter went on to work as the communications manager for the Minnesota Twins, where he handled PR for the operation’s business side. “In many ways, that was kind of a dream job because I could put some of those communications skills to work,” said St. Peter. “I did a lot of writing. I was able to be a spokesperson for the team, and it ended up connecting me to the ballpark effort, which really launched in 1995. It gave me access to our ownership, our team president and Major League Baseball, which let me build relationships, demonstrate my skillset and build trust within the organization. I think that ultimately propelled me forward in ways that I could have never imagined.”
St. Peter had to use every bit of knowledge from his previous retail experience while working in the pro shop. Minnesota Twins FARGOINC.COM
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Minnesota Twins
From there, St. Peter would go on to work as Director of Communications, VP of Communications and Senior VP of Business Affairs. As Senior VP of Business Affairs, St. Peter went out of his comfort zone again, just like he had with the retail store. “That was a huge leap for me because I’ve never really had that sales background,” said St. Peter. St. Peter was finally named team President in 2002; “CEO” was added to his title in 2016. The Stadium Building Experience: In 2010 the Twins opened Target Field, a stadium costing $545 million, after a 16-year effort that included numerous failed plans to win public favor. “It was the greatest challenge of my professional career, to be part of the group that was seeking approval for a workable and viable ballpark deal,” said St. Peter. “It was incredibly difficult. It was humiliating at times, but it also was incredibly rewarding at times. One of the things I enjoy the most is that there were so many doubters over that decade that questioned the need for a ballpark and people that questioned the funding plan for the ballpark. Those people are hard to find these days. People universally now appreciate Target Field for not only what it has meant to the Twins, but also what it has meant to downtown Minneapolis and really all of Twins territory. It’s a place that really everybody is proud of.”
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“I think people ask me all the time what my favorite thing about my job is, and by far, my favorite thing about my job is the emotional connection that our fans have with the Twins,” said St. Peter. “It’s powerful and I see it in a lot of different ways. Every game we play, we have youngsters that are coming to their first game. I got a letter from a shut-in in Ely, Minnesota that listens to every single game on the radio. I see the look on a young girl’s face when Max Kepler visits a children’s hospital. That emotional connection to the Twins and our history drives me every single day.”
“There are certain fundamentals that I subscribe to that have been central to any success that I have had.” 1. Relationships - Life requires an investment in your fellow man. What I mean by that is you have to engage with each other. For me, that meant building relationships with the people I worked with and the people I worked for. I didn’t do that via text. I didn’t do that via Twitter. I did it via one-on-one conversations. I still think that is probably the biggest advantage that those who are good at it have over others. The ability to develop relationships and the ability to develop trust are very important. 2. Communication skills - The ability to write is very important. One of the things I’m most concerned with when I look at younger people today is that we’ve taken an entire generation and taught them to write in 140 characters or less. That is a concern. The writing skills that I learned at UND have propelled me forward in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. 3. Urgency - Having urgency is important. I think all of us that grew up in North Dakota have a certain level of humility and a tremendous work ethic. I also think urgency comes along with that. What I mean by that is you can be anywhere along the spectrum between Type A to pretty laid back, but there are times in life that require urgency. There are times to demonstrate that something is important to you. I see a lack of urgency with some young people. I want to know that it matters to somebody.
4.Working smarter vs. harder - One of the things I’m really trying to do inside the Twins organization right now is creating a culture that’s rooted in work/life balance. When I got into baseball, you were expected to be at the ballpark. Everybody was going to be here. That isn’t the way it is today. I think that’s asking a lot of somebody over the course of time. Especially if you want to continue maintaining your relationship with your spouse or your children or with your family members or friends. Our people here are accountable for their jobs and they have to deliver on that, but we’re in a mobile society today and we’re working remotely now and we have that trust in our employees that they can deliver on those metrics that are most important to the company without being at every single game That work/life balance is important. I didn’t subscribe to that before. It’s one of the reasons that I think I lost the marriage that I had for 20 years, not the only reason but one of the chief reasons. I wasn’t as present in that relationship as I could have been because I was always at the ballpark and always working. I look back on that with regret. Hopefully, others coming here after me have that flexibility that I didn’t feel like I had at the time. When I started my journey as a pro shop manager, I wasn’t sure how it would go. So, I controlled what I could control and what I could control was how hard I worked and how I treated people.
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J. Alan Paul Photography
Was that early love of baseball a reason you ended up with an internship with the Twins? When I made the decision that I wanted to pursue a career in sports, more specifically, sports communication at the beginning, I was very flexible in terms of where I was willing to accept that opportunity from. Frankly, I really started out thinking that I wanted to be a sports information director on a college campus. To me, still to this day, that almost seems like sort of a dream job. I almost think I ought to go back and do that someday. With that job, you get to work with all of the sports rather than just having to pick one lane. What did you learn from that pro shop experience? I learned a lot about hiring and firing people. I learned a lot about really understanding the importance of customer service and engaging with our customers. I had to grow up a fair amount and I think it gave me something to add my arsenal, so to speak. I had a communications background, I had some marketing background, I had a lot of writing background, but I didn’t necessarily have that management background. I think it served me well over the years.
it happened that way. It certainly gave me perspective in much more of a 360-degree view of how things can work together and the importance of collaboration and teamwork. From a management perspective, I think it gave me a chance over the years to understand how those different components line up on an org chart and how you want to build a team to have certain individuals to compliment others. Is your current job your dream job? I never set out to be the President of the team. I just wanted to carve out a career in professional sports. I still, to this day, have to pinch myself every once in a while because of where I’m sitting. The dream was to work in sports, and I get to do that. I work with really great people. I think the beauty of being in a leadership role is the ability to have a bigger impact. Yes, you can have a bigger impact on the organization. Yes, you can have an impact on fans and stir that emotional connection. However, I think what’s most rewarding for me today is the impact I can have on people inside our organization. The career path we can provide for the next Dave St. Peter. That’s what inspires me every day. How we can make our organization better. How we can make our people better and put them in positions to achieve their dreams.
When you’re making hiring decisions, do you think it’s important to have people immersed in different parts of the organization throughout their careers because of your experience? I think diversity in one’s path is incredibly helpful. I think the more hats one can wear over the course of their journey, especially early on, the more dynamic they become as an employee and as a potential future leader. I’m not sure I set out to do it that way, but
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St. Peter stays busy on game nights, interacting with everyone from players to business partners to fans.
What are your game night responsibilities? When there is a game night, there are a lot of people in the ballpark that I can interact with. There are partners here. There are season ticket holders here. There are sponsors in the building. There are a lot of great fans here. So, I get a chance to walk around and interact with a lot of people and have a lot of opportunities to do different things with the media. There’s a job responsibility that comes with game day, but it’s not work. I’m at a beautiful ball park watching a first-place team. That’s not work. That’s a blessing. As a business leader, how do you account for some of the weak spots that young people might have today when building your organization? Do you have to look for certain things in the hiring process or is it about the development of the employee once they’re in the organization? I think it’s about a combination of things. You certainly look to provide development opportunities, but it’s also important to look at some of the things that are there with young people and not just what is missing. The new generation has so many advantages and are so much smarter when it comes to technology than my generation was. They communicate
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in different ways. They see the world in different ways. Their demand for diversity in people and thought goes well beyond my generation. Their expectations around our world and around sustainability and the future are much more advanced than it was in my time. So, I think you try to create a culture that allows young talent to thrive. If you don’t and you sit around and commiserate what’s not there, you’re not going to be able to attract talent. You’re not going to be able to evolve as an organization. We have a responsibility to provide development opportunities as well. We look to take a young person’s skill set and hopefully give them a broader view of the world while also giving them more tangible skills. I think organizationally we’re better off today because of the way young people see the world. Our younger employees are pushing the organization to be more progressive, more diverse and more balanced. What are some of the developmental opportunities you do offer employees? I think it starts with a plan. Every player that plays for the Twins, especially in our minor league system, has a development plan that helps them work on the things they need to
get better at. If you work in the box office or if you work in the Twins’ marketing department, you also have a development plan. It might be learning Spanish, working on writing skills, working on public speaking skills or working on working across departments more effectively. There are specific tangible objectives for everyone in the Twins organization. I think it’s rooted in treating all employees the same by treating them as people, and trying to find ways to support their journey. We try to take a snapshot in time and take stock of where they’re at while trying to lay a path forward.
Minnesota Twins
11 Pieces of Great Business Advice
Nothing can have an impact quite like good advice. However, that can be hard to find these days in business. That's why we reached out to the awesome members of The Executives' Club of Fargo-Moorhead to find good solid actionable business advice for you to put into practice. 52
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By Brady Drake
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Patrick Kirby Founder Do Good Better Consulting
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"Give more than you expect to get. Whether it's value, time, money or effort — your generosity will be remembered by those who benefited from your business. They may end up singing your praises to others who could use your products, skill set, or perspective. Remember, third-party endorsement is exponentially more valuable than first-party solicitation. So, rack up those testimonials for going above and beyond expectations and reap the benefits of an awesome reputation for giving a ton!"
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Mike Meagher President Sagency
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"Constructive interaction (a.ka. conflict) is something that most business leaders would rather avoid. However, engaging difficult conversations in a timely, clear, and kind manner is a leadership skill that helps create an environment of trust, accountability, and growth."
Austin Morris Co-Founder Enclave
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"There will be times in your business when outsourcing expertise makes sense; it’ll be more efficient and produce results without increased overhead. It can also teach someone within your organization something valuable. One of the things we've learned over time is to find the right vendor and treat the relationship as a true partnership, setting high standards in communication and product/service delivery on both sides. By doing so, we find that our partners are often elevating their business by providing enhancements and adding value that they hadn't recognized as a need before. It creates a win-win strategy for everyone."
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Paul Highness Managing Partner PRO Resources
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"Time is the currency of the 21st century. If someone else can do your "back office" employee stuff (Compliance, HR, Payroll, Benefits, etc.) for the same or for less than it is costing you, outsource it. Use that time to focus on your business, mission, and strategic plans."
Sarah Koustrop Chief Strategy Officer National Hospitality Services
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"Setting people up for success sets your business up for success. If you have a great employee that isn't doing great, look at what they are great at and what they enjoy doing and put them in a position to do that. Then, find people to fill in the areas that are left. Have an accounting manager that is amazing at accounting, strategy and process development but hates managing people? Then create a role that uses those skills to the maximum and find someone that loves the people management side. You end up with super productive, happy team members that are fired up to do their jobs every day versus a great employee who is bad at, dislikes or just avoids core parts of their job. Nothing says you have to stay in the organizational chart boxes. " FARGOINC.COM
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Shanna Cramer President Creatively Uncorked
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"Get a trustworthy web designer and own your own domain name. Make sure you have control over all of your social media accounts. Online advertising is pretty costeffective if you are doing it right."
Dave Harmon
President Harmon Entertainment
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"At Harmon Entertainment, we use quite a bit of technology to help keep our company in good communication and automated. If you're looking for a great way to communicate between staff members and keep your to-do list organized, try Microsoft To Do. For document sharing, we can't find a better solution than Google Drive, especially since most of our staff works from home. Just to be safe though I back up the company's entire google drive account weekly to an external hard drive. For scheduling meetings with clients, we use acuityscheduling.com."
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Maddie Schultz
Owner Blue Cypher Bookkeeping
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"Get a password manager! The average person today has over 100 unique logins/ passwords they have to track. As a bookkeeper, I have different logins for every client and a password manager makes it easy to organize, keep track of them all, and keep them more secure than a spreadsheet or piece of paper."
Trent Lee
Founder/CEO & Business Advisor Compass Leadership Advisors
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"Nothing happens until you make a sale. Many new businesses focus too much time on getting their process/ systems/culture "right" before aggressively selling their product/service. Get people to buy into your product/service before investing a bunch of time into making it perfect. You might have the best widget ever or have the process down perfectly, but until you sell something, nothing else matters. "
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Peter Schott
CEO and Co-Founder Genesis Feed Technologies
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"Look closely at social media and identify areas that are beneficial for you and your business, as well as those that are draining your energy. Cut the draining ones out of your life. The reduction of mental noise will be immensely helpful in staying focused on what matters."
Jason Orloske Founder/CEO Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC
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"The sooner you get behind schedule on your project, the more time you have to make it up. If you see delays in the schedule, say something right away. Though it may be an uncomfortable conversation to have with your boss and leadership, drawing attention to being behind may get you the assistance you need to get back on track."
By Brady Drake
NONPROFIT OF THE MONTH:
UNSEEN eadquartered right here in Fargo, North Dakota, Unseen, an anti-human trafficking organization, worked with its 35 partner organizations all over the globe to impact 3.3 million lives in 2019. Than Baardson, the CEO and Co-Founder of Unseen, says that an estimated 40 million people, 10 million of which are children, are living in slavery right now. He believes this to be a "low estimate." "Vulnerable kids are the target market for exploiters and traffickers right now," said Baardson. "Pre-COVID we had 150 million children living without parents in the world. Those are the first and hardest hit by those looking to exploit them and throw them away. Trafficking is well connected, well funded and robust. So, those of us in the anti-trafficking community need to be even more connected, have a robust funding source and we also need to have the longevity to have to make a real impact in stopping human trafficking."
With the effects of COVID having a strong impact on the world, the work done by Unseen is more crucial now than ever. "We've been working nine years to be prepared for a time like this," said Baardson. "Right now we are anticipating that 500 million people will be entering poverty and starvation in the coming seasons. That's significant. Any time you have a major event like COVID or a natural disaster, you have opportunists that are going to be exploiting the people that have suffered most. As parents are struggling to decide which of their children to feed, some people with some really terrible options are going to come in and try to capitalize on that suffering." At Fargo INC!, we want to highlight these organizations that are doing important work in our community. We sat down with Baardson to learn more.
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35 PARTNERS. 35 COUNTRIES. 6 CONTINENTS. 78
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How did you get into this work? We started in Fargo and Seoul, South Korea. I have a background in broadcast journalism and filmmaking and connected with an incredibly photographer about 10 years ago who was doing anti-trafficking work. We started building and asking those around us for wisdom guidance and help. Teams began to rally and we saw an incredible outpouring of support from the Red River Valley and that has continued to spread. We are now seeing more businesses joining the fight as well. Why Fargo? This is an incredible community. We have such a robust network of incredible individuals that are willing to stand up and say that the kids that are in harms way are worth protecting. We have incredible donors in other pockets around the United States, but Fargo has been a tremendous place to have our local headquarters. What are some things the Fargo-Moorhead community could do to assist your mission? Everyone is welcome to join us. Two of the main things you can do ask questions and see what is going on. Wayfair is not trafficking kids through dressers drawers and expensive shower curtains, but a lot of people have asked me about that. There's a lot of trafficking news out there right now, but there's also a lot of misinformation. The sad reality is it's a lot
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easier for people trafficking kids and it's a lot cheaper than a $10,000 dresser. We've made it very easy for businesses to get involved in what we do. You can sponsor an event like our Fall Fire event coming. We have another business in town that has committed 3 percent of everything they do to come into Unseen on a monthly basis. That allows us to say yes to partners that are waiting in the wings sooner. Can you talk a little more about that misinformation that you were talking about? There's a lot of trafficking in the news right now from Epstein to Pizzagate and things like that. People who are looking hurt kids are going to find a way, but don't get caught up in conspiracy theories because that, unfortunately, takes a light off of kids and families that are suffering right now. What we are saying is that there are ways to bring light to the darkness. True information and the truth along with people getting motivated from sympathy into action is a beautiful thing. We are primarily supported by donors and people joining us in the fight. For more information visit: https://www.weareunseen.org/
83,271 Vulnerable people received direct services and care
3,190,859 Displaced vulnerable or stateless people provided advocacy
57,165
Non-vulnerable people were made aware of human trafficking signs and root causes.
NON-TRAFFICKED (PROACTIVE) ROOT CAUSES
PREVENTION
• Poverty • Insufficient education, job and/or credit • Insufficient food, water, and/or shelter • Poor health • No ID papers • Unsafe setting
• Access to education, jobs, credit • Access to food, water, shelter, healthcare • Advocate for gov't ID papers • Risk Awareness training
GOAL:
Minimize People Trafficked
TRAFFICKED PEOPLE SEXUAL FORCED LABOR
NON-SEXUAL FORCED LABOR
50%
12%
38%
FORCED MARRIAGE
POST-TRAFFICKED (REACTIVE)
PROTECTION/AFTERCARE
PROSECUTION
CHANGE LAWS/SYSTEMS
• Raids, rescue, disrupt networks • Safety, security • Food, water, shelter • Medical care, drug rehab, psychological and spiritual care • Skills training, connections, jobs, credit
• Investigations, interviews • Collect evidence via cyber-enabled and human intelligence operations • Court trials • Enforce laws • Impose fines, probation, prison sentences • Seize assets
• Advocacy for improved rights of vulnerable populations • Legislative reform • Stronger laws, incentivized law enforcement •Improved justice systems
GOAL:
Maximize Free Lives
GOALS:
Weaken Slavery Operations
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GOALS:
Disincentivize Slavery Industry
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By Brady Drake Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography
100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED:
SCHEELS AND ITS EMPLOYEES
ARE ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP 84
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Michelle Killoran, CFO, Scheels
Photo by Kayleigh Omang
Michelle Killoran, CFO, was not aware that SCHEELS was an employeeowned company when she joined the team as a part-timer in 2000 while attending Concordia College. “I had no idea that SCHEELS was an employee-owned company,” said Killoran. “Based on the name of the company, I assumed it was familyowned.” From its founding in 1902 to 1991, SCHEELS was owned by family and a few select associate shareholders. However, the sporting goods company added to an Employee Stock Ownership Program in 1991 and now nearly 3,000 associates are employee-owners. In order for an employee at SCHEELS to be eligible for the ESOP, they need to have worked one year and 1000 hours. There is also an opportunity for employees to purchase SCHEELS’ stock after working for five years with the company as a full-time employee. From the part-timers who have accrued enough hours to the long-tenured fulltimers literally investing in the company,
Killoran says that employee ownership has been very helpful to SCHEELS in maintaining its culture and pushing the company forward. “There’s a level of accountability that’s established when you’re an employeeowned company that I don’t think is necessarily always there otherwise,” said Killoran. “Because we are working towards the same common goal, a successful and thriving company, we hold each other accountable to a higher level. That dynamic has been very good for us. It breeds that culture of striving to do more to ensure this company is the best retailer in the United States. . You can see it in everything we do, from coaching each other up to picking up trash in the parking lot..”
IF YOUR COMPANY IS CONSIDERING THE USE OF AN ESOP…
Make sure your employees are educated! Though Killoran didn’t know the company was employee-owned when she first started, SCHEELS makes it a top priority these days to educate its employees on the benefits of employee ownership. “We’ve made a concerted effort over the past few years to ensure that our branding is visible that we are employee-owned,” said Killoran. “We’re working on the education component to make sure that our associates understand employee ownership. The quicker someone understands it, the quicker they buy into making their employment at SCHEELS a career.”
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WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT SCHEELS Photo by Jesse Hoorelbeke
The SCHEELS freight room at the Fargo location.
Marsha Kringstad worked 31 years with SCHEELS before retiring.
Employees benefit from ESOPs as well. Marsha Kringstad, a former shipping, receiving and defects manager at SCHEELS, is now enjoying the weather in Lacey, Washington all thanks to the retirement benefit the SCHEELS ESOP provided her. Kringstad spent 31 years in freight rooms like the ones pictured on this page in both the St. Cloud and Fargo stores and was able to retire with over $1.5 million due to the ESOP retirement plan, something she wouldn’t have been able to do working at many other freight rooms. “SCHEELS made a lot of this possible for me,” said Kringstad. “Because of them, I was able to move out here and be closer to family.” If you’re looking for a commitment from the ground up at your company, an ESOP might be the right route for you. However, Killoran believes that not all companies are built for it. So, make sure you closely examine your company culture before transitioning.
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Faces of
Fargo Business
KEVIN BURKE Operations Manager, Voxtelesys
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Faces of
Fargo Business
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H2M
Photos by Nicole Mendoza By Brady Drake
Companies far and wide have long tried to inject the boring and sometimes soul-sucking office cubicle layout with a splash of energy to entertain potential clients, infuse energy into the team culture, and drive forward innovation. H2M, a creative marketing agency that occupies the third floor of the McCormick building in downtown Fargo is one such organization. Off the elevator, the first things visitors see are a screen showing the latest video projects, a fully stocked bar (that is, if you only prefer Jameson and vodka), and a wall dedicated to H2M’s mission. “Advertising deserves its reputation. We’re trying to change it.”
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H2M
There is no reception area at H2M or traditional lobby seating. Managing Partner, Dan Altenbernd, says that this assures there's no pretense for visitors. "The first office is mine, and more often than not, the door is wide open.� In the lobby you might be puzzled but charmed to find the company's "family portrait," a collection of the H2M staff showing off their favorite animal in colorful, upcycled picture frames.
Altenbernd works to keep his office comfortable (and groovy) for visiting guests.
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H2M
Leaving the entryway, visitors see a long hallway washed in natural light leading to work stations. It’s easy to hear the construction of two large downtown buildings on either side. When asked about the noise, Altenbernd says, “That’s the great thing about downtown. It’s alive. It’s flourishing. There’s nowhere else we’d rather call home.”
H2M
The second of the two conference rooms sits opposite the hallways with enough space to fit H2M's entire team.
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H2M
“We took inspiration from early MTV logo treatments back when they first took the world by storm and actually played music. We tried to make something approachable and yet a little, rebellious, a little
The crown jewel of H2M's beautiful office sits proudly in the office area. H2M’s creative team conceptualized the design of this 12’ x 8’ hand-painted mural, and it was executed by designer Adam Wiedman, who has painted a few other murals in the region.
grotesque,” Wiedman says, “It’s dripping. It’s oozing. But that’s what makes a doughnut and desserts so appetizing.” FARGOINC.COM
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H2M
In addition to the animal-themed "family portraits" sits this meerkat, which is similar to Altenbernd's portrait. “It’s another element of playfulness we wanted to add into the office,” says Altenbernd.
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Founder and CEO, uCodeGirl | Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow | PhD Candidate | Lecturer of Computer Science | YWCA Woman of the Year in Science and Technology
WILL A.I. TAKE YOUR JOB? THE SHORT ANSWER IS, “YES”. THE LONG ANSWER IS, “YES!”
By Bethlehem Gronneberg
W
We are at the turn of the 21st century. According to Professor Klaus Schawab, Chairman and Executive Director of The World Economic Forum, we are in the 4th industrial revolution, a time of unprecedented change. In his book titled “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, Prof. Schawab noted, "These waves of technological changes are so profound that, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise and potential peril.” What makes this revolution unique is the convergence of previously disjointed systems and applications such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, the internet of integrated things (IoT), unmanned autonomous vehicles such as self-driving cars, computational biology in genetic engineering, blockchain, etc. have collectively created a force to be reckoned with. We know that technological advances are disrupting almost every industry in every country and creating massive change in a non-linear
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About uCodeGirl
The vision of uCodeGirl is to inspire and equip young women to become the future face of innovation in technology. uCodeGirl is uniquely designed to inspire, engage and equip young women with computational design thinking skills, leadership traits, and an entrepreneurial mindset. uCodeGirl strives to remove roadblocks and bridge the gender gap in technology so that young women can confidently pursue opportunities suitable for the 21st century. By building confidence, enhancing skill sets and tapping into their intellect and curiosity, uCodeGirl helps young women chart a pathway to the T of STEM careers. More information here: www.ucodegirl.org | @ucodegirl |
/ucodegirl
way at unparalleled speed, blurring of boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, over one-third of U.S. jobs could be at “high risk” of automation by the early 2030s. Stories like this could instill fear in the public that robots are going to take our jobs. It is true that over time, there will be some jobs lost to automation. However, there is a fundamental fallacy in that way of thinking that there is a finite amount of work for humans, such that if machines do that work, there can be no other work left for humans to do. Who would have thought of “Youtube influencer” as a job description. The issue of machines replacing human labour has been discussed as early as the 1st industrial revolution with the innovation of steam engines. And again with the introduction and mass production of electricity during the 2nd industrial revolution, there was a genuine fear for candlestick makers job displacement. When cars became popular, carriage makers were worried they would be out in the cold. And so forth.
Alec Ross in his book, “The Industries of the Future”, provides a view into the forces that will carve tomorrow’s economy and the difficult, necessary steps that must be taken to prepare ourselves and our children for a world with powerful artificial intelligence, robotics, and scientific developments. William Arthur Ward had said, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” How are you adjusting your sail?
In his book “What is The Future and Why It is Up to Us.” Tim O’Reilly, CEO of O’Reilly Media, talks about the importance of understanding the partnership between the creativity, ingenuity and empathy of humans in one hand and with the accuracy and processing power of Super Computers, on the other hand. Automation would enable human workers to do more productive jobs at higher wages. Before the development of electronic computers, the term “computer” referred to people and not machines at NASA. Upskilling and reskilling strategy is what we witnessed in the movie The Hidden Figures when the introduction of the IBM PCs disrupted the jobs of people computers. The question we should really be asking ourselves are, “how much are we investing in cultivating an adaptable workforce?” A.I. presents opportunities to educate, empower, and diversify the workforce. In order to build a more future-proof workforce, organizations have to look inside for the talent pool they already have and provide opportunities for re-skilling or up-skilling talent through formalized training programs. Looking beyond traditional talent pools to building great workforces. Apprenticeships, training programs for non college-educated talent, and partnering with organizations focused on such initiatives are key to preparing workforces for the future. Such approaches focus on offering access, training, and opportunity to populations who previously did not have a seat at the table. These changes to workforce development have the potential to drive more opportunities. FARGOINC.COM
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Colette Campbell DIRECTOR OF TALENT ACQUISITION, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION AT BREMER BANK
Q. In brief summary, what do you do? A. In my role at Bremer, I get to oversee the whole talent acquisition process and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The work that I do falls into three buckets. I think about the workforce: how are we finding talent? I think about the workplace: what does it feel like when people are here? And then I think about the marketplace: how are we showing up outside of the organization? How are we engaging in the communities that we're a part of? Our whole mission at Bremer is cultivating thriving communities. As we're thinking about the killing of George Floyd, we're thinking about what it means to be an equitable institution. It means that everybody's thriving in the community. So that's the question that we're asking ourselves: is everyone thriving? As we're putting out statements against racism, what does this mean for us? What does it mean for our customers? Q. What do you love most about your work? A.I love that it's always new. There are always new problems to solve, especially in the talent equation. My job was very different six months ago when we were looking for talent. Now we have the highest unemployment rates since the depression and there's a lot of talent out there. So my role has shifted from finding the “diamond in the rough” to looking through all of the talent that's available, repositioning ourselves to raise brand awareness, because there are a lot of people out there now who weren't looking to work here before.
Colette Cambell inspired attendees at the August 4 Virtual Ladyboss Summit with her presentation, “How to Be Something You Can’t See.” We sat down with Colette to learn more about cultivating thriving communities, finding the right career path for you (through plenty of trial and error), and measuring your diversity and inclusion “temperature.”
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Q. How does your background in religious studies and counseling apply to your current work? A. I'm the daughter of immigrant parents. I was the first generation to go to college and didn't know what I wanted to do, so I went with what I was interested in. My first degree is in religious education and counseling studies, and I quickly realized that I didn't want to do either of those things. So I ended up doing another degree in management and leadership and then some coaching work. I've always been really curious and passionate about human development. When you think about it, really, everything I've done has always been about our development in a holistic way. How do we see ourselves? How do we understand ourselves? How do we work with others? And that's really in line with diversity, inclusion, and equity work. So even though I started out in religious education, it's all very connected to me because it's all about our humanness and who we are as individuals spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, mentally—all the different dimensions of who we are. Q. What do you think are the most important qualities in a leader? A. I would say persistence, because being a leader is hard work and it's easy to get tired. Another one is being vulnerable enough to ask hard questions. If you're not willing to ask questions that are hard and to hear the answers too, then you're not going to grow and you're going to miss things that are important to your team.
Q. What is the best career advice you have ever received, or given?
point, because action is key. You have to have a bias towards action, otherwise you just create more bias.
A. Don't be afraid to ask. Exceptions are always being made, so ask for them! I think we are often afraid to do that, especially as women. You can’t let “no" immobilize you. You can always recover from "no". Another piece of advice, especially for leaders, is to create pathways. Talent is universal; opportunity is not. So what is it that you're going to do to open a door for someone? Who can you introduce someone to to create an opportunity? That's one of the questions we all have to ask ourselves, especially if we're going to make a significant impact where there are entrenched obstacles impacting disadvantaged communities or minority communities. Q. Do you have any words of advice for individuals and organizations just beginning their diversity and inclusion work? A. I think it's doing an assessment to see where you're at. There's an assessment called the IDI, the Intercultural Development Inventory, that all of our senior executive team has gone through. Going through that assessment, you come out with your own report and from there you start to create an individual development plan. It's almost like taking your temperature and saying, “Okay, where am I? Do I have a fever?” It forces you to do that introspection. But that is just a starting
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BY STEVE M. DUSEK,
Dakota Business Lending
5 WAY S TO IMPROVE YOUR CASH FLOW
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veryone wants to save money but figuring out how to do it can be an overwhelming task. Couple that with a COVID-19 pandemic or an economic downturn, and you may find yourself feeling paralyzed.
“Where do I begin?” “What resources are out there to help me save money?” “Should I focus on operating costs? Payroll? _____? ______?” The list of dreaded questions goes on and on. The good news is that there are a variety of options to help small business owners improve their cash flow and keep their business afloat during unprecedented times. We’ve worked with hundreds of small business throughout the state that have taken a few different routes to preserve their cash flow and have seen them come out the other side - not only surviving but thriving. Here are a few ways your business can do the same:
1. Business Expenses Of course, you should take some time to examine your operating expenses and carefully consider what is and is not necessary at the time. Categorize your expenses into (1) absolutely necessary and (2)
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nice, but can get along without, and see if you can identify some small opportunities to save money. It may not seem like much at the time, but it can add up fast!
2. Incentives for Early Payments: Depending on
the type of business, incentives for early payment might be an option for your small business. by offering some type of discount to customers for paying up-front, business cash flow will increase. This gives your business cash instantaneously and helps the customer by saving them money. It also saves the business time and effort when trying to “chase down” payment sometime in the future.
3. Review your Business Model: Sometimes the best
way to navigate downturns or financial difficulties is with creativity. Take some time to review your business model and see if there are any new and innovative ways that you can generate more revenues that you have not done before. Are there any additional products or services you may be able to offer? Can you sell your products online? Are there any training courses you can offer for your customers? If you are out of ideas, try asking your customers what they would like. Not only will you expand your business model, but you may be able to provide yourself with some extra revenue to help you through this period of decline.
business to cover expenses during a time of revenue decline. If you decide to go the deferment route, be sure to ask about the following details: • Is this a principal-only (where you continue to make interest payments) or principal-plus-interest (where interest keeps accruing during the deferment) deferment? • How does the catch-up plan work? Does the bank put these payments at the end of the loan and extend the maturity, or will they require the catch-up to be paid as soon as the deferment period is over? Be sure you understand how this will work for you and your business. Contact your local lender to discuss your options and what would work best for you and your business. These are some of the best ways for small business owners to improve their cash flow today. You can also reach out to other organizations like CTB, Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE for mentoring, assistance in reviewing your financials, and asking questions from a different perspective. If your business is looking to do something similar, ask your lender today about these options so you can help your business not only survive, but thrive.
4. Refinance Options: With interest rates as low as
they are, your business might benefit from a debt refinance option (especially if your current debt has steep payments). For refinancing, you will have one of two options: • Straight Refinance – this is where the lender may be able to provide a lower interest rate and re-amortize the debt over a longer period, resulting in lower monthly payments • Refinance with Cash-Out – this option is for those businesses that need additional working capital or may be looking to fund some type of expansion. In this case, if there is equity in your building, you could borrow against it at a lower rate and use the cash for business operations.
5. Loan Deferments: If, after exploring all other options, you are still having trouble, you may have the option to defer your loan payments. This option, however, is granted only for extraordinary circumstances and you must be able to show your plan for how your business will improve financially after the deferment period. Most deferment options range from anywhere between three to six months, which will help free up cash for your
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10
WITH JOHN MACHACEK
Questions
J
ohn Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the past seven years. He knows their ups, their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for WeClean Co-Founder Jared Hineman, who is offering flexible scheduling for their cleaning services
Jared Hineman Co-Founder
1 Tell us your WeClean elevator pitch? WeClean is an all-natural, contract-free home cleaning service with easy online booking committed to supporting local products and partners. Our team of highly-vetted cleaning professionals provides the best possible clean while our high-tech software makes the whole process convenient, quick, and simple.
2 What type of cleaning services do you offer? From one-time cleanings, recurring cleanings, and vacation rental turnover cleanings to move-out, move-in, and partial cleanings‌ We do it all with no contracts or hidden fees. We also offer gift cards, which are perfect for new parents, sick loved ones, hostess gifts, or client gifts.
BY John Machacek PHOTOS BY Jesse Hoorelbeke and Hillary Ehlen
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3 What communities have you launched in so far, and do you have plans to be available in the Fargo Moorhead market soon?
About John: John Machacek has been helping local startups with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation since Prior to his position with the GFMEDC, Machacek was the VP of Finance & Operations at United Way of CassClay and a business banker at U.S. Bank.
Our services are currently available in Bismarck, Central Oregon, and the Phoenix Metro area, but we are expanding into four more cities (including Fargo) by the end of 2020. We expect to be up and running in the Fargo Moorhead market in the next month or two. You can sign up to be notified when we launch in Fargo by visiting WeCleanLocal.com/Fargo.
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Have you had to modify any part of your services due to COVID? Like most companies, we’ve definitely made some adjustments to keep our cleaners and customers safe during the pandemic. Customers can now choose to have their home cleaned with CDC-approved products that are effective against coronavirus (at no extra cost) or they can stick with our standard all-natural cleaning supplies. In addition, we now have measures and reminders in place to ensure that clients and cleaners notify us and cancel if anyone in their home is feeling unwell.
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I know your team is really into talking through, then establishing and documenting processes. Why is that important to you? We are bound and determined to maintain our high quality and our 5-star rating while we grow! Creating effective, replicable processes for our cleaners is a critical part of our plan to continue scaling nationally. That’s why our cleanings are priced by the task instead of by the hour (so you know exactly what’s going to get done and exactly how much it will cost), why our cleaners send clients before and after pictures of each section of the home, and why we have such stringent standards for hiring.
6 How do you maintain that 5-star standard of service while having and hiring cleaning staff around the country? It starts with hiring the right people. We do extensive interviews, reference checks, and background checks for everyone that we hire— we usually only hire one cleaner for every 10-15 we interview. The next step is training. Very few cleaners have been held to the high standards that we expect, so we’re creating an online training program called WeClean University to standardize our training process across the country and make every cleaning we do is a 5-star cleaning (no matter where it’s done). In addition, customers can choose their cleaners based on individual ratings and reviews during the booking process, so our cleaners are highly motivated to maintain their own 5-star rating. Lastly, we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee because we are committed to getting it right, no matter what.
7 Your startup recently raised some funding. Based on what you’ve learned, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs who may think about raising money? Starting a business is a community affair—especially a business like ours that is committed to supporting local communities! Before we started the funding process, we reached out to other entrepreneurs in the area who had successfully gone through the funding process before us, and we are immensely grateful for their insight into both the process and particulars. If there was ever a time to pull strings and tap into your network, this is it! We would also strongly recommend looking into state resources— North Dakota has so many incredible programs to support start-ups in the state which have been extremely helpful for us. Lastly, I’d say you really need to go into the process with the right attitude and expectations: Have a realistic idea of what you’re worth, understand how long the process takes, and start looking for funding before you’re desperate so you can take your time and negotiate a deal that works for everyone.
8 What is your WeCare Program? It’s our favorite part of our company! We are deeply committed to giving back to the communities we serve, so every month through our WeCare program, we provide 4 hours of free cleaning to a family in need in every city where we work. Recipients are nominated by their friends, family or neighbors, and chosen based on need and circumstance. It’s a chance for people to support their friend or neighbor by meeting a tangible need in their lives and we just love facilitating that.
9 What makes WeClean different from all the other cleaning companies out there? The cleaning industry is long overdue for an overhaul, so we created a new, more modern, and convenient way to get your home cleaned. Most of the big cleaning companies are totally behind-the-times—they have inconvenient booking processes that require you to call and/or schedule a home visit to get a quote or book a cleaning. Some even require you to pay and tip with cash or check. Plus, nearly all of them require a contract and price by the hour, leaving you susceptible to cleaners who work slowly and get nothing done. With WeClean, you can build your own no-obligation instant quote online and book in under a minute. You can pay and tip online (but you’re not charged until an hour after your cleaning so you have time to review the results) and we’re always contract-free. We also charge by the task, so you’ll know exactly what we’ll get done and how much it will cost, no matter how long it takes. It’s a cleaning service for the modern age.
10 What can we do as a community to help WeClean succeed? Get your house cleaned! We know it’d be a big sacrifice for you, but we’d be grateful for the opportunity to mop your floors and clean your bathroom while you live your best life. If you’re a property manager, we’d also be grateful if you’d give us a try—our automated system is designed to make complicated cleaning schedules easier and more convenient. We also love working with real estate agents to design beautiful, personalized cards for them to give as client gifts and we’d love to connect with realtors in Fargo to make that happen for them.
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BY Adrienne Olson, Kilbourne Group
Kesler, the final phase of a multiproject public-private partnership, breaks ground in Downtown Fargo
Rendering of Kesler.
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he resilience of the small businesses of downtown Fargo has been on full display through these days of late summer. As with businesses across the world, they’ve evolved in the face of adversity and constantly changing business conditions. Our community has united to support them and see them through.
Fargo has had its share of events that have united its people to set the city’s growth on a new path. In 1893, the city of Fargo had grown to about 6,000 people and it was booming with new buildings and commerce. On June 7, a fire swept through the city, destroying 160 acres and more than 31 blocks. We rebuilt. In 1957, a deadly tornado wiped out 300 homes, churches, schools and multiple commercial buildings. We rebuilt. Flooding of the Red River Valley has, over and over again, rallied the community to build sandbag walls to protect what we’ve built against forces of nature. In the 1970s, after thousands of miles of interstate were built and people acquired a taste for commuting, our city made many decisions to raze what we’d built in order to make more room for more car parking in downtown Fargo. These days, we rebuild. The site at 624 Second Avenue North has been a surface parking lot for nearly 45 years. Before that, it was the mixed-use Kesler Block, rebuilt after the fire of 1893. In early August 2020, Kilbourne Group broke ground on a $20 million new mixed-use Kesler block. Project information is online at KeslerFargo.com. The Kesler project represents the final phase of a public-private partnership designed to transform three surface parking lots in
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downtown Fargo into a 455-stall publicly-owned parking garage, and three privately owned mixed-use buildings: Roberts Commons, Dillard, and Kesler. Kesler includes 69 parking stalls, almost 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail for five new businesses, and 109 apartments. Early construction activity includes installation of an earth retention system, followed by excavation and concrete work. The Kesler project is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2022. Kesler is the fourth phase of a public-private partnership with the City of Fargo which began in early 2016. The previous phases included the seven-level Roberts Garage public parking, the mixed-use Roberts Commons building wrapping around the garage, and the mixed-use Dillard project to the north. Construction of these projects created a west border of buildings along Roberts Alley, which has become a favorite stop on strolls through downtown Fargo, filled with retail, restaurants, and outdoor patio spaces. By the numbers, this public-private partnership transformed 195 surface lot parking stalls in the heart of downtown Fargo into 524 parking stalls, 265 new apartments, and 35,500 square feet of commercial space with 11 new businesses so far! But what about the incentives that were needed to make the projects happen? All the private development in this partnership received a fiveyear property tax abatement through the Renaissance Zone. A portion of the Kesler project received an additional 10-year break through a PILOT. Before the partnership, the surface lots in the projects paid a total of $5,736 in annual property taxes.
Rendering of the future parking garage.
Small businesses, like Beer & Fish Company, line Roberts Alley, creating a lively shopping and dining district.
After the incentive period ends, the annual property taxes paid by the projects will total $658,000. As the Roberts Commons and Dillard infill projects activated Roberts Alley north of 2nd Avenue North, the Kesler development will extend the activation of the alley south to 1st Avenue North. This urban alley will feature storefronts across from the historic Black Building. The west alley along the Graver building will provide a shaded walkway (still open to vehicles) with the installations of street trees and green walls. Kesler will be complimented by the Stone building along Roberts Alley and 1st Avenue North. For 45 years, this site lacked activity with people. The team members of Kilbourne Group are grateful for the opportunity to work with the City of Fargo to invest in bringing new living and working experiences into this growing neighborhood. We know that urban infill is a key component to maintaining walkability and to the city’s revitalization journey. As a real estate redevelopment firm focused on historic renovation and mixeduse urban infill projects in downtown Fargo, Kilbourne Group aims to breathe new energy into downtown residential, commercial, and retail spaces, and the spaces in between.
The Dillard and Roberts Commons projects have become home to exciting businesses, all locally owned, that are writing a new chapter in the history of downtown Fargo. Come check them out! If you have a business that would be a perfect fit for this growing neighborhood, visit OfficeDowntownFargo.com!
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Academic Insight
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here’s a wide breadth of information out there in academic literature about running a company. That’s why we wanted to provide academic answers to real life business questions so we turned to Shontarius D. Aikens, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Management at Offutt School of Business at Concordia College, to give us some academic insight.
BY Shontarius D. Aikens, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Management at Offutt School of Business at Concordia College 120
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GARY USSERY
Understanding the Value of Failure: Two Key Tools During this summer, I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning at my home and in my storage areas. To be honest, I dread the process and the time required to go through storage containers and boxes, but I understand that it is important to do this periodically. On one particular day, I came across documents and items from past business ventures that I started back in my late 20s/early 30s. There were definite moments of nostalgia along with several moments when I said to myself: “What in the world were you thinking?” This rhetorical question was definitely directed to my involvement in those past business ventures that were not as successful as I had hoped they would be. As an educator, I strive to be as real and as transparent with my students as possible in order to create an authentic positive learning environment. For example, on the
first day of my entrepreneurship course, I share with my students about previous business ventures I started in the past. I discuss the how and why of my involvement along with whether or not it turned out the way I envisioned. I share the good stuff as well as the bad stuff. I think it is extremely important for entrepreneurship students (and in fact all students) to understand that even the most well-intended and carefully thought out plans can sometimes fail. This applies to not just entrepreneurship, but also to life in general. And, I also want them to know that early failure can be a huge positive that leads to greater success in the future. As I tell my students, some of the greatest personal and professional successes in my life now are a direct result of hard lessons of failure when I was younger. Self-reflection is so important
To see all of Aikens’ sources and references, read the full article at fargoinc.com.
and critical for growth that I am always on the lookout for various activities and tools that can help individuals learn and get insight from past experiences. When it comes to learning from failure, I found two tools that have been developed to help in this process. These tools presented below are used in academic classrooms, and I believe that they can be utilized by organizations and managers in the workplace. Tool #1: The Failure Resume: All of us have created a resume to highlight our successes and experiences in hopes of getting a job. But have we ever thought about developing a resume to highlight our failures? Tina Seelig created The Failure Resume activity as an assignment for her students. This requires making a list of failures (personal, professional, and academic) and then writing a reflection on what was learned from each item. In addition, it requires the participant to complete a risk profile. Out of the various types of risks (physical, social, emotional, financial, intellectual, ethical), participants get an understanding of the types of risks they normally embrace versus the types of risks that they tend to avoid. To learn more about this activity, read Seelig’s article titled The Secret Sauce of Silicon Valley. Tool #2: The Failure Spectrum: In the article Strategies for Learning from Failure, it is suggested that failures are not all the same. Some
are preventable, some are complex, and others are intelligent. While some failures do deserve blame, others deserve praise. To illustrate this, Amy C. Edmondson created The Failure Spectrum which is a visual continuum that can be used to describe and categorize failures. The nine different types along with Edmondson’s definitions are listed below: • Deviance: “An individual chooses to violate a prescribed process or practice.” • Inattention: “An individual inadvertently deviates from specifications.” • Lack of Ability: “An individual doesn’t have the skills, conditions, or training to execute a job.” • Process Inadequacy: “A competent individual adheres to a prescribed but faulty or incomplete process.” • Task Challenge: “An individual faces a task too difficult to be executed reliably every time.” • Process Complexity: “A process composed of many elements breaks down when it encounters novel interactions.” • Uncertainty: “A lack of clarity about future events causes people to take seemingly reasonable actions that produce undesired results.” • Hypothesis Testing: “An experiment conducted to prove that an idea or a design will succeed fails.” • Exploratory Testing: “An experiment conducted to expand knowledge and investigate a possibility leads to an undesired result.”
I utilize The Failure Spectrum in my entrepreneurship classes as a selfreflection tool which helps students to evaluate if past undesirable outcomes were due to human errors or shortcomings (e.g. Lack of Ability, Process Inadequacy) or just a natural part of taking calculated risks (e.g. Hypothesis Testing, Exploratory Testing). In Closing The value in both of these tools is that it enables lessons learned from past mistakes to be documented which can help individuals and organizations to improve in the future. While these tools are specifically geared toward entrepreneurial ventures and startups, I believe these tools have general applicability and benefits. First, they could be used as a starting point for introspection and self-reflection that could be used in executive coaching sessions. Second, it helps managers and organizations to take proper ownership of past mistakes that could have been avoided and to let go of those mistakes that were out of the manager’s or organization’s control. Third, encouraging open discussions about failures and documenting lessons learned can help organizations cultivate a culture of learning and development.
To submit questions you would like answered in future editions of “Academic Insight”. Email Dr. Aikens at: saikens@cord.edu
SEPT/OCT
BUSINESS EVENTS
2020 CALENDAR
Fargo Events
EVERY FRIDAY Founders That... Golf Every Friday at 3:30 p.m.
If you've founded or co-founded a company, you're invited to join other founders for a casual round of golf at El Zagal Golf Course. Not great at golf? Join anyways! It's for all skill levels. BYOC (bring your own clubs) emergingprairie.com
EVERY WEDNESDAY 1 Million Cups Fargo
Every Wednesday 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
1 Million Cups is a free, national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. Scherling Tennis Court Complex in Island Park 616 1st Ave S, Fargo emergingprairie.com
EVERY WEDNESDAY
EVERY SATURDAY
Founders That... Mountain Bike
Founders That... Play Tennis
If you've founded or co-founded a company, you're invited to join other founders for mountain biking around Fargo/Moorhead. We'll be meeting at the bridge between Lindenwood Park and Gooseberry Park. BYOB (Bring your own bike...not booze!) Lindenwood Park/Gooseberry Park Bridge
If you've founded or co-founded a company, you're invited to join other founders for a casual game of tennis at Island Park Tennis Courts. Not great at tennis? Join anyways! It's for all skill levels. BYOR (bring your own racket)
Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Every Saturday at 10 a.m.
emergingprairie.com
1905 Roger Maris Drive, Fargo emergingprairie.com
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BUSINESS EVENTS
CALENDAR
Fargo Events
SEPTEMBER 9 Developing a Resilient Workforce: How Organizations Thrive in the Face of Adversity
Wednesday, September 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Today’s business environment is filled with unexpected challenges and setbacks. Few of us are in a position to change the environment in which we operate; we can only control how we prepare and respond to it. Creating a resilient organization that can successfully ‘bounce back’ and grow from adverse experiences has become increasingly critical. For leaders who hope to accelerate performance and capitalize on change and uncertainty, it’s moved from highly desirable to absolutely crucial. Courtyard by Marriott 2249 55th St S, Fargo fmwfchamber.com
SEPTEMBER 1 K-12 Update with Our A+ Superintendents
Tuesday, September 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
This year, school is going to look different. As we know, the pandemic has impacted all aspects of our, and our kid’s, lives and their K-12 education is no exception. Join The Chamber to hear from the superintendents of the three largest school districts in the metro – Fargo, West Fargo and Moorhead – for an update on how teaching styles, classroom activities and expectations have adapted amid the pandemic and for updated information about enrollment numbers, district growth and long-term plans. Courtyard by Marriott 1080 28th Avenue South, Moorhead fmwfchamber.com
SEPTEMBER 10 Virtual Series: The Business Case: Why a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy is Important for Business Success Thursday, September 10 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The first webinar in this six-part series will discuss how changes in demographics, buying power and impacts of technology on global commerce are driving business & industry to think differently about talent acquisition. Workforce shortages and job seeker attitudes around the value of diversity are creating a climate for employers to consider who, where and how they recruit talent. Further, compelling statistics support the value to business and return on investment in hiring a diverse workforce. fmwfchamber.com
SEPTEMBER 17 The Chamber's Annual Celebration
Thursday, September 17 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
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together! The Chamber is shaking up the ‘annual meeting’ with an exciting new format. Join other business and community leaders for a virtual streaming experience, and help recognize the volunteers who contributed to the success of the past year, be prepared to be in awe hearing how a local leader shaped the success of our community and region and receives the 2020 Legacy Leader Award! fmwfchamber.com
SEPTEMBER 24 Virtual Series: Inclusive Leadership: Beyond Leadership Buy-In to Leadership in Action Thursday, September 24 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce launches a new virtual education series, Building Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces, available at no charge for all businesses and individuals. fmwfchamber.com
SEPTEMBER 30 Why NOT Me? Overcoming SelfDoubt Wednesday, September 30 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
There is an old saying that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Self-doubt is often a primary driver for not taking that shot. This session will explore key motivators of self-doubt, and challenge women to get out of their own way and feel confident that they deserve success, happiness and fulfillment. fmwfchamber.com
BUSINESS EVENTS
CALENDAR OCTOBER 7 ND Measure 3: Inside the Proposed Constitutional Changes
Wednesday, October 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
On November 3, North Dakota voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballot in support of or opposition to Measure 3. Among others, this measure includes the following changes to the North Dakota Constitution: the implementation of rank voting, instant runoffs and open primaries; a required audit of election results; expanded powers provided to the Ethics Commission; an extended date in which ballots must be sent to military-oversea voters; and legislative districts to be subdivided into two House of Representative seats. Advocates on both sides of this proposed measure have been invited in for what is sure to be a lively conversation regarding the proposed changes and how, if implemented, they would impact you, your voting experience and your state. fmwfchamber.com
OCTOBER 7 Virtual POC Discuss, Connect & Reflect | Walking with the Wind by Congressman John Lewis Wednesday, October 7 from noon to 1 p.m.
Come for Professionals of Color’s newest opportunity, a book club to discuss readings, connect on topics and reflect on how content resonates with you! For the first meeting, please read to the end of Part IV (Chapter 12, “Keep you Stick Down”) and come prepared to discuss. fmwfchamber.com
OCTOBER 8 Virtual Series: Unconcious Bias: Self-Awareness Leads to Organizational Awareness Thursday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce launches a new virtual education series, Building Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces, available at no charge for all businesses and individuals. fmwfchamber.com
Fargo Events OCTOBER 14 Workforce Transformation: Navigating the New Normal
Wednesday, October 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Not since the advent of the Industrial Revolution has the workplace undergone greater transformation than it has in the last 25 years. Beyond the not insignificant impacts of economics, technology and demographics, the workplace is influenced by the rising power of workers whose demands have gone well beyond traditional concerns about pay and benefits, work/life balance and community outreach. fmwfchamber.com
Grand Forks SEPTEMBER 8 Business Builders Webinar: Cash Flow Resiliency
Tuesday, September 8 from 3:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
Join WC MN SBDC Executive Director Matt Magness as he walks you through the fundamentals of understanding cash flow and how your business can better manage it. gochamber.org
SEPTEMBER 10 2020 Chamber Golf Classic
Thursday, September 10 beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The Chamber, Insure Forward and Bank Forward invites you to get your business on the course! Valley Golf Course 2407 River Road NW 202 NW, East Grand Forks gochamber.org
SEPTEMBER 15 Business Builders Webinar: Building Your Revenue Streams
Tuesday, September 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Different times require different thinking. With many experiencing an increase in demand or dip in contribution sources, it's time to rethink how we are funded. This interactive session lead by Scott Holdman and Christy Dauer will provide you with practical tools and resources to build more than one revenue stream to fund your mission. Business Builders Workshops bring entrepreneurs and industry specialists together to answer real questions that small businesses face. gochamber.org
SEPTEMBER 10 Chamber Business After Hours Thursday, September 17 from 4:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. gochamber.org
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Bismarck Events Minot Event SEPTEMBER 15 Women Connect
Tuesday, September 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Join for a conversation about navigating change and uncertainty! Discover small steps to boost your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing at work and home. minotchamber.org
SEPTEMBER 1 Business Development Series: ND Career Builders Tuesday, September 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Learn more about ND Career Builders, a skilled-workforce program designed to recruit talent into high-need and emerging occupations, at the September 1 Chamber EDC Business Development Series. Through a partnership of business, colleges and students, the ND Career Builders program can be a valuable workforce resource to encourage talent attraction and retention. bismarckmandan.com
SEPTEMBER 24 Business After Hours
Thursday, September 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Come to the September Business After Hours at the Roosevelt Park Zoo. Enjoy their new lion and tiger exhibits, along with delicious food, great networking and a chance at prizes. $5 charge at the door. minotchamber.org
SEPTEMBER 11
EVERY THURSDAY
Brats with the Brave
Thursdays at the Chamber EDC
The Military Affairs Committee invites Chamber EDC members and the public to Brats with the Brave. Help show appreciation for our military men and women by dining with them. Raymond J Bohn Armory
Join fellow members for a fun and informal way to network. Chamber EDC staff will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, refreshments and dessert.
Friday, September 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
4200 Miriam Ave, Bismarck bismarckmandan.com
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Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
bismarckmandan.com