Lawrence Business Magazine 2023 Q1

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Publisher: Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC

Ann Frame Hertzog & Steven Hertzog

Editor-in-Chief: Ann Frame Hertzog

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS

In the First Amendment of the Constitution, it states: Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press*. The press or the ‘Fourth Estate’ is a watchdog of the constitution and, as such, a vital part of democratic government. The term media refers to the communication channels through which we disseminate news, music, movies, education, promotional messages, and other data. It includes newspapers and magazines (in print and online), television, radio, streaming, internet, and billboards.

Media supplies us with sources to educate and entertain us. This information influences our decision-making from what to buy, how we look, what we feel, and how we measure up against others.

Media is a very powerful tool. Used for good, it can get out information during a natural disaster, shed light on the truth and make those who try to cheat the system accountable. As we have recently seen at our nation’s Capitol, it can also be dangerous when promoting falsehoods and encouraging violence.

Why did we do this issue on Media and Marketing? As the media/press has been in the headlines and a focus of much abuse by those that wish to silence truths and rewrite history, and as media sources have consolidated and smaller markets lose their local source of news – we thought it was important to note how lucky we are to have a local (almost daily) paper and local radio stations, in addition to all of the other media elements right here in Lawrence. Lawrence is indeed a community with its own Media industry. From local radio to local filmmakers. From podcasters to photographers. From social media to website designers. As a consumer, you do not have to look outside Lawrence to find what you need.

Need a short film or video to showcase your business? We’ve got that. Need a new website? We’ve got that. Need help in your social media platforms? We’ve got that. Need to keep up on local and world news? We’ve got that, too.

One of the most important elements in Media is the audience. Are you a decerning consumer? Do you know the source? Do you know who your trusted sources are for information? We, of course, have a little bias here; we see ourselves as trusted storytellers in the community – and all of us work hard to make sure that the information we supply is based on fact.

As you read through this issue, please remember that all our advertisers have a stake in the local economy; we ask you to first consider them before looking to source your needs outside of the community. Try and shop locally as much as possible and avoid the urge to order online. If you find something online – see if one of our local businesses has it. We know they would appreciate the business, and remember, our local businesses are at the center of our community.

When we Shop Local - Shop Baldwin, Eudora, Lecompton, and Lawrence (and use Local Services). We are not just supporting those businesses but giving back to our community and building a future together.

Sincerely,

Ann Frame Hertzog

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Chief Photographer/Publisher

*First Amendment full text: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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ON THE COVER (LtoR): Chad Lawhorn, Ashley McCaskill, Matt "Mr. Beat" Beat, Kevin Willmott, Marc Havener, Jeff Burkhead

Mural on Naismith Hall by Tara Johnston IG @taraleighjohnston tarajohnston.co

Chief Photographer: Steven Hertzog

Featured Writers: Anne Brockhoff

Bob Luder

Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D.

Emily Mulligan

Tara Trenary

Nick Spacek

Darin M. White

Copy Editor: Tara Trenary

Contributing Writers: Autumn Bishop

Contributing

Photographers: Jeff Burkhead

Carter Gaskins

Katy Ice

Mariah Seifert

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING

INFORMATION CONTACT: info@LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com

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© 2023 Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC

Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

HERALD OF FREEDOM

by Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D., Historical Research & Archival Consulting

The first free state newspaper in the Kansas Territory promoted the free state cause to its readers, mostly in New England, to recruit them to the territory, ultimately increasing tension among free state and proslavery supporters before the Civil War.

In the 1850s, newspapers were the primary medium for sharing local news and information about events in the larger world with a community. During the territorial period in Lawrence, six different newspapers were published at various times: Daily Lawrence Republican, Lawrence Republican, Herald of Freedom, Kansas Tribune, Kansas Daily Tribune and the Kansas Free State. Of these titles, the Herald of Freedom was unique because it was subsidized by the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co. (later the New England Emigrant Aid Co.).

z advise and assist the company’s agents in securing a good location in the West

z the immediate advantage of the press, the school and the church so the morals and intelligence of their children shall not be forfeited by a life of semibarbarianism, as often happens to settlers in the West.

The company proposed the country would benefit through “extending the area of freedom by creating new free states” and “by reducing the pooer (sic) population of our Eastern Cities—necessarily

The Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co. was incorporated by the state of Massachusetts “for the purpose of assisting emigrants to settle in the West.” The founders of the company intended to benefit emigrants in the following ways.

z diminish the expenses of the journey and protect from fraud and delay, provide food and shelter at the lowest price while they construct their habitation, save their families from exposure in the wilderness by the company being the real pioneer

vicious here probably will be virtuous there—vice often comes from poverty.” This is an interesting and somewhat self-righteous assessment of the poor, which was common in the 19th century.

The plan of operation of the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co. included receiving bids to convey 20,000 settlers (an overly optimistic number) to the company’s selected settlement, building a boarding house to accommodate 300 people, constructing a steam sawmill and a grist mill, and, pertinent to this article, establishing: “as soon as they shall have suit-

able room for the same a weekly paper devoted to Liberty, Liberation & good morals—which shall be open to letters of the Co’s exploring agents for unfolding to the people the resources of the new country & aiding in various ways the interests of the new settlement.”

The newspaper was intended to be a means to recruit potential settlers from its readers in Massachusetts and New England. It also ended up increasing free state support for Kansas by reporting the various conflicts between the anti- and proslavery forces in the territory.

The first issue of the Herald of Freedom was actually published in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, with a Wakarusa dateline on Oct. 21, 1854. The next issue was dated Jan. 6, 1855, from the Lawrence, Kansas, Territory. The publisher of the newspaper was George Washington Brown. He had been editor of the Conneautville Courier and espoused free soil sentiments in his editorials. Brown negotiated with the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co. to publish the Herald of Freedom, the first free state newspaper in Kansas Territory He promoted the free state cause to the readers of the paper, many of whom were in New England.

In a letter dated Jan. 10, 1856, Brown wrote to Hiram Hill, an investor in land in the new territory, from Williamsburg, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He thanked him for his gift of $15 and informed him he was sending him 10 copies of the Herald of Freedom. Brown reported:

“The circulation of our paper is increasing at an unparalleled vote, showing that the people are bound to sustain it. I feel confident that so long as we have a free and untrimmed press in Kansas, one which has the ability and independence to proclaim our wrongs to the world and inspire our friends with hope we have nothing to apprehend for the result of the struggle now waging between freedom and despotism.”

Lawrence was soon subject to a violent attack. The sacking of Lawrence occurred on May 21, 1856, when proslavery settlers, led by Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones, attacked and ransacked Lawrence, Kansas. While Brown was being held with other free state supporters in Lecompton after

the raid, he wrote to Eli Thayer, a founder of the Emigrant Aid Co., in Worcester, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1856, describing the aftermath of the attack.

“You have learned ere this of my arrest at Kansas City, while on the way to the Territory, by an armed mob, and of my confinement here under guard of United States troops, …. You will also have learned of the destruction of the Emigrant Aid Co’s Hotel at Lawrence, of the burning of Doct. Robinson’s dwelling; the stealing of his papers, books and so forth; of his won imprisonment; and of the destruction of my two hand presses, the power, press, all my type and fixtures for my extensive news and jobbing office, also my private papers and documents, and my extensive miscellaneous and law library, embracing over a thousand volumes of the choicest publication of the times.

The Demon of the slave power a rampant today, and all because they come in the name of the law, clothed with authority of the federal government.”

Later in the same letter, Brown wrote that if the newspaper’s supporters would provide generous support, the Herald of Freedom “will again rise from its ashes and will continue as formerly a terror to tyrants.”

While the newspaper was increasing its readership in New England in 1856, the content of the Herald of Freedom and the Kansas Free State, also published in Lawrence, were condemned by a Douglas County grand jury. This jury found that these two newspapers:

“offered publications of a most inflammatory and seditious character denying the legality of the Territorial authorities and advising and commanding forcible resistance to the same according to the popular mind and rendering life and property unsafe even to the extent of advising assassination as a last resort.”

The grand jury voted to “recommend that steps be taken whereby said nuisances maybe removed.” Obviously, the members of this grand jury were proslavery supporters. However, these newspapers continued publishing.

In the Nov. 19, 1859, issue, the editor reported that the Herald of Freedom was acquiring new readers.

“Through the active operation of numerous personal friends and relatives scattered over the country, who took agencies for the paper, and many others who sympathized with the principles enunciated, our list was suddenly swelled to EIGHT THOUSAND. The effect of this large list was visible in the unprecedented emigration of the spring of 1857, nearly every emigrant of whom was bound for Lawrence. Our friends at Kansas City, Leavenworth, etc., were in the habit of remarking, as passengers left the steamboat and inquired the direction to this city, that ’It seems as if eastern people are unconscious of any other place in Kansas than Lawrence.’ It was almost true, and we are vain enough to believe that our circulation of 8,000 copies throughout the States, and passed from hand to hand, each having at least six readers, and the long extracts from its columns in all the leading papers of the country, did much towards bringing Lawrence into still wider notoriety.”

The Herald of Freedom ceased publication at the end of 1859. It fulfilled the purpose of its founding by the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co. of establishing “a weekly paper devoted to Liberty, Liberation & good morals—which shall be open to letters of the Co’s exploring agents for unfolding to the people the resources of the new country.” Many settlers came to Kansas Territory as a result of its description of the land in the West. However, its impact in sharing news about the proslavery atrocities in Lawrence is immeasurable in helping increase tensions between free state and slavery supporters that led to the Civil War.

Note: Most issues of the Herald of Freedom are available on the Library of Congress’s digital newspaper site Chronicling America. It can be accessed at The Kansas Herald of Freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory), 21 Oct. 1854. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. p

A Matter of Heart

Knowing the symptoms is key to surviving cardiac arrest.

by

Donna Oleson has always been a woman on the go, wearing a number of other hats during the years. She spent 25 years working as the Eudora city clerk before retiring a decade ago. She then took on a role as an administrative assistant at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and planned to only be there for a year or two, but somehow it stretched into another 10-year career.

“I decided to retire from Bert Nash in September 2022 because I was turning 70. If I didn’t do it then, I wouldn’t do it at all,” she explains.

But she didn’t sit still for long. Oleson took on another challenge, working as a paraprofessional at Eudora Elementary School. She’d only been working there for a couple of weeks before catching the COVID-19 virus. Once she recovered, she headed back to work.

It was no wonder that she was tired due to her busy lifestyle and recent bout with the virus, but it seemed that she was tired all the time. Oleson mentioned the exhaustion to her doctor, but since she wasn’t having any other symptoms, they chalked it up to being an active 70-year-old. That all changed on a Saturday afternoon in September.

“I’d been cleaning the living room, and I remember thinking I was tired, and I should sit down,” she says. “I dozed off, and when I woke, I knew something wasn’t quite right.”

BE ON THE LOOKOUT

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. One person dies every 34 seconds from the disease.

The most common symptoms of a heart attack are:

z chest pain or discomfort

z feeling weak, lightheaded or faint

z pain in the jaw, neck or back

z pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders

z shortness of breath.

Elizabeth Guastello, MD, a cardiologist with Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence, says other symptoms can occur in both women and men, such as nausea, vomiting, sweating or feeling like you just have the flu. If there’s a weird presentation, nine times out of 10, it will occur in a woman.

Autumn Bishop, LMH Health photos courtesy LMH Health

”If you feel like you’ve got an elephant sitting on your chest, pain radiating down your arm or jaw pain, it’s vital that you get checked out immediately,” she explains. “Call 911 and get to the emergency room. Time is heart muscle.”

Oleson has long been active with the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women, so when she began to vomit and felt intense heart pain, she knew something was wrong. She began to bang on the wall to get her granddaughter’s attention and told her she thought she was having a heart attack. They called 911, and when the paramedics arrived, they told Oleson she was right. “They loaded me in the ambulance and put nitroglycerin under my tongue,” she says. “I remember telling them that it hurt so badly, but that’s it until I got to the hospital and found out I’d flatlined, and they had to perform CPR.”

FAMILY HISTORY PLAYS A ROLE

Oleson doesn’t present as someone who might be susceptible to a heart attack. She never drank or smoked, and made sure to exercise regularly. There was one thing she had stacking the odds against her: family history.

“I come from a family of six—five girls and a boy,” she says. “Both of my parents died from heart issues. My mom passed within the week of her 66th birthday and my dad when he was 68. Both of them had previously had bypass surgery.”

Family history and genetics can play a significant role in your potential for developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Guastello says that while not everyone with a family history of cardiac issues develops problems, it can be more likely.

“We see other people who don’t have any risk factors. If your father had a heart attack at 45, it can be a strong indicator for you, as well,” she explains. “It’s important to remember that just because it happened to them doesn’t mean that it will happen to you.”

If you have concerns about your heart health, Guastello says knowledge is power. It’s important to know your weight, cholesterol level, blood pressure and whether you have diabetes. Having high numbers can lead to increased plaque in your cardiovascular system, which, in turn, can lead to heart disease and heart attack.

above: Donna Oleson, below: Elizabeth Guastello, photos by Jeff Burkhead

“If you have risk factors, it’s important to see your doctor. Your primary care provider can help you get those numbers where they need to be,” she adds.

PREVENTION IS KEY

Knowing your risk is key to preventing heart disease. Once you’ve made an assessment, it’s important to create a prevention plan. Guastello says there are a number of steps you can take to improve your health.

“It’s important to be physically active and move more,” she continues. “Staying at a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet will also help to reduce your risk. And if you smoke, now is the time to quit.”

If you do have family or lifestyle risk factors, you’re not alone. Making small changes can make a huge difference. Talk with your healthcare provider to find out what you can do now to lower your risk later.

IN THE END

Oleson’s decision to call paramedics instead of having her granddaughter drive to the hospital saved her life. Not only did she flatline in the ambulance, Oleson had a total blockage of one artery, and another was 90% occluded.

“Donna had what you might know as a widowmaker,” Guastello explains. “The proximal left anterior descending artery supplies blood to the front of the heart. In the past—before coronary intervention—someone would usually die, which is how it got the name.”

Interventional cardiologist Alan Berger, MD, placed a stent in one artery immediately, followed by a second one three days later. After spending a few days in the hospital, Oleson went home to begin outpatient treatment and rehab.

“It’s been quite a year—it was a heck of a way to celebrate my birthday,” Oleson says. “I’m so lucky to have survived and to have received the outstanding care that I did at LMH Health. They took great care of me.” p

KNOW YOUR SCORE

A tool available to help determine your heart health is a coronary calcium score. Guastello says during this simple imaging procedure, patients undergo a CT (computed tomography) scan that looks for calcium in the arteries.

“If you score a zero on the test, there isn’t any plaque present, and that can provide you with peace of mind,” she explains. “Scores of one or greater indicate that you’ve got coronary artery disease, and then we can begin treating you appropriately.”

Coronary calcium scores are done on a regular basis at both the LMH Health Main Campus and West Campus. The test costs about $60 and isn’t usually covered by insurance. While a referral isn’t required, Guastello recommends asking your primary care provider to order the test so he or she can receive the results. If cost is a factor, the LMH Health Foundation may be able to assist.

RADIO On the Dial & On the Air

by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog

The advent of the internet in the 1990s and early 2000s effectively flipped the world of media upside-down. Instead of getting news and information by walking to the end of the driveway and picking up the newspaper, or tuning in to the nightly newscast, with a computer and modem connection—or today, a Wi-Fi signal—it seemed the entire world was at our fingertips.

As a result, over the next couple decades, what was known as a robust print industry was hit hard and greatly contracted. With consumers of news and information now reading online—and advertising dollars following suit—newspapers fell by the wayside or condensed in staff and size so much they were shadows of what they once were. Same for magazines, many of which either shifted to online presences or went away altogether. Television, with rat-

ings already splintered mightily by the dawning of cable, watched its audiences further siphoned by streaming services such as YouTube.

During this seismic shift, there was one form of media that bucked the trend. While the print and TV industries hustled to adapt and find solutions to the changing landscape, radio saw opportunities to take the content it had been producing all along and simply expand its reach. Now, instead of broadcasting on a limited-scope AM or FM signal, radio seized the opportunity to throw content onto the World Wide Web for anyone around the globe to access and hear.

“Even though we choose to use the name Kansas Public Radio, we could’ve really changed it to Kansas Public Media,” says Dan Skinner, director of Kansas Public Radio (KPR), a Lawrence-based station which last year was named the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year for the 21st time, more than any radio outlet in the state.

Radio seized the opportunity to expand its content and its reach.

“We’ve never looked at (traditional and internet radio) as either/or, but and,” Skinner says. “Now we have listeners beyond our terrestrial broadcast reach. People all over the world listen to our programming. It’s been great for us, and I think great for all radio.

“To me,” he continues, “it was never a subtraction, just an enhancement of everything we do.”

KPR is one of two Lawrence radio organizations that have taken the age of the internet and run with it.

Just a couple miles west from KPR’s headquarters sits Great Plains Media Inc., a collective of three local stations—KLWN FM 101.7/ 1320 AM, KISS-FM 105.9 and 92.9 The Bull— that broadcast in Lawrence and the surrounding area. And of course, with internet, that area can be the world. In addition, the company has a pure-play internet adult-rock radio station at LAZERROCKS.com.

“I think radio has been at the forefront of being a disrupter,” says Jonathan Monk, executive vice president for Great Plains Media. “For instance, with music, over the years, everything went from vinyl to being on the computer. We take local content and put it on different formats, whether it be streaming or putting it on an app.

“Facebook, Instagram … We’ve brought in all those formats to adapt to the times. We’re a content provider of music and local information.”

Monk is quick to point out that, according to data compiled by Neilsen Audio Today in June 2022, 93 percent of Americans 18 and older still listen to terrestrial radio on a monthly basis.

“Listener habits have changed,” he says. “Where they are listening, when and what kind of content they are listening to. But I think radio can create whatever it wants to create.

“If we can keep putting out interesting, relevant content and give it to people when and where they want it, then I think it’s a very exciting time for radio,” he adds.

top to bottom

Jonthan Monk recording in the Great Plains Media studios

Monk with Great Plains Media owner Jerry Zimmer

Monk with Joel Becker, Great Plains Media program director/ on air personality

THE ORIGINAL HOME FOR KU SPORTS AND MORE

Brian Hanni, the “Voice of The Jayhawks” the past seven years on the Jayhawk Radio Network, which includes KLWN and KISSFM, for University of Kansas (KU) sporting events, says he’s always pleasantly surprised when he hears from listeners of his broadcasts from far reaches of the globe.

“I’ve heard from listeners from such places as Brazil and Japan,” he says. “It always makes me smile. And I always make a point of showing (those correspondences to KU men’s basketball) Coach (Bill) Self.”

Hanni points out that KLWN had more than a million downloads on all formats during the 2022 KU football season.

“We’re blessed to get to call games, and there’s no better place to call college basketball games than Allen Field House,” he says. “This is just a tremendous place to call home. You can just sense how special the sports community is, the passion of the fan base.

“I hear from folks every day who turn down the volume on their TVs to listen to the radio broadcast,” he continues.

Listenership is exponentially greater than when then-owner Arden Booth first launched the station back in 1951. Following Arden’s death, the Booth family sold the station in the late ’90s to the Zimmer brothers—specifically Jerry Zimmer—who folded the three stations under the Great Plains Media banner. For more than 50 years, Arden’s son, Hank Booth, has

Brian Hanni, right, with Greg Gurley talking with Christian Braun after the 2022 NCAA Championship win.

hosted a morning talk show, “According to the Record,” on KLWN and served primarily as the soul of the station.

“We have the heritage of Hank Booth,” Monk says. “And Arden’s spirit is still with us.”

While KU sports attracts a good portion of its listeners, KLWN also is known for an array of local news and talk shows. “Radio for Grownups With Joel Becker” interviews anyone from local realtors and psychologists to members of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. “Timeline With Clenece Hills” takes an uberlocal approach to covering topics pertinent to Lawrence and the surrounding areas. There’s also “This Morning With Gordon Deal” and “Rock Chalk Sports Talk With Derek Johnson and Nick Springer.” And, for in-depth stories on local businesses and community leadership, tune into the “Lawrence Business Magazine Radio Show With Steven Hertzog,” at 9 a.m. Thursdays.

KLWN also broadcasts football games for both Lawrence High School and Free State High School.

“Sports is very crucial to the health and well-being of our company and community,” Monk says.

KLWN also offers nationally syndicated broadcasts like “No Spin News With Bill O’Reilly.” As part of its adaptation to the internet times, the station offers all its programming on podcasts, so listeners can enjoy absorbing content on their own time and terms.

KISS-FM is, in Monk’s words, “a contemporary hit radio station.” It has the strongest signal of the three Great Plains properties—100,000 watts—so has a longer range and also carries KU basketball and football games.

92.9 The Bull is a country music station that plays songs from the ’90s to today, “a wide variety of hit music that people enjoy,” he explains. Both KISSFM and The Bull often highlight bands that come through town and play at one of Lawrence’s famed venues, like Liberty Hall, The Granada or The Bottleneck.

Monk says all three Great Plains stations take their roles seriously as civic community members and

contributors. Programs such as “KLWN Cares” and “KISS Cares” highlight different organizations in the community, such as the Coaches Versus Cancer program.

“Radio is actually a very intimate industry,” he says. “It’s very personal, very one on one. One of the most important things about local radio is that we’re here to help local businesses grow.”

ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL

Kansas Public Radio was born out of a single station, KANU 91.5 FM, on Sept. 19, 1952. It was quite fitting that, last Sept. 19, KPR celebrated its 70th anniversary with a day full of live classical music.

“Classical and jazz have been there from the beginning,” KPR Directory Skinner says. “They’ve stayed there because there’s always been an audience for it.”

As KANU’s reach expanded, so did its offerings to listeners; and in 1971, the station began broadcasting one of its programming mainstays to this day, National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” It wasn’t until July 1985 that KANU began broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Soon thereafter, in 1986 and ’87, KANU expanded service to Emporia and Manhattan. The next year, Iola and Humboldt, Kansas, were added. At the beginning of 1990, KANU’s Statehouse Bureau became Kansas Public Radio, with stations in Garden City, Manhattan, Pittsburg and Wichita, receiving legislative coverage for a modest fee.

Later, KANU began service to Atchison and Emporia/Lyon counties. On June 1, 2002, with broadcast towers in Atchison, Emporia and Lawrence, and one planned for Junction City, KANU officially changed its name to Kansas Public Radio to represent its entire broadcast area.

Two memorable events during those first 50 years occurred when a June 15, 1991, lightning strike set

Dan Skinner, director of Kansas Public Radio and Laura Lorson, host/producer of All Things Considered

Hoch Auditorium ablaze, destroying KANU’s development offices and considerable archival material; and in March of ’95, a TV crew from “60 Minutes” visited the station to shoot footage of an “Imagination Workshop” broadcast for a piece about Congress’ move to withdraw funding for public broadcasting.

Today, KPR employs 22 full- and part-time staff.

“We try to fill the gaps of what commercial stations don’t offer,” Skinner says. “It’s the variety. A lot of radio has become somewhat monolithic, but because of the great range of our listenership, eclecticism has served us well.”

Another feature of KPR is that most of its shows are hosted by locals, many of whom are experts in their fields. Bob McWilliams, a local jazz enthusiast, hosts “Trail Mix,” the station’s main jazz show. Local jazz legend David Basse hosts another jazz show. Cordelia Brown, a classical musician herself, hosts a classical music show.

“I think that’s what sets public radio apart,” Skinner says. “We have local hosts with local knowledge that not only is entertaining but educational.”

He explains the mainstays of the station’s news offerings come from NPR but with local news breaks inserted into those broadcasts. In November 2017, KPR entered into a collaboration with KMUW, KCUR and High Plains Public Radio to form the Kansas News Service. It’s longstanding history of covering the Kansas Statehouse made it an easy choice for its contribution to the allegiance.

Skinner says 84 percent of KPR’s income comes from public contributions, either from individual members or corporate underwriters. Five percent comes from KU, 9.4 percent from federal grants and 1.2 percent from the state.

He thinks KPR will be subsidized more and more by public contributors in the future. But it’s full steam ahead for Kansas Public Radio and the unique kind of content it provides listeners in the area.

“We’re proud to continue to provide what we think is a valuable public service to the community, and we could not do it without the support of the public, which we remain very thankful for,” Skinner says. p

SOCIAL MEDIA & THE Digital-World

by Emily Mulligan, photos by Steven Hertzog

Five years’ worth of business happened during about six months of 2020. Umm, what? Indeed, the shift to digital commerce during the pandemic was so significant that it actually pushed all of online business ahead about five years during that span of 2020, according to data from IBM’s U.S. Retail Index. Let’s explain: As every shop, grocery store and even restaurant shifted to online ordering, curbside pickup and added delivery, consumers had to research and select those purchases through digital devices. So, while we sat on our couches in our sweatpants, digital media companies were scrambling to innovate, evolve and grow the digital marketplace to put it at our fingertips. And the changes and advances made during that time were enough to evolve all of digital commerce forward about five years.

LOCAL DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital business and digital interaction made large leaps locally during that time, as well, according to local businesses. Lawrence is home to several companies that specialize in digital media, digital marketing, website design, social media consultation and digital advertising.

Wildman Web Solutions was founded in 2017 by Lawrence native Miles Bassett, a former professional software engineer who worked on projects for Microsoft, Sprint and IBM, as well as government agencies. Marketing expert, former radio executive and longtime Lawrencian Mike Hannah has since joined the company, which specializes in providing smaller businesses the technology typically available to larger corporations, including online retail

The pandemic advanced global digital commerce much more quickly than if it had never occurred.

Miles Bassett and Mike Hannah of Wildman Web Solutions

and marketing. Bassett’s tech abilities plus Hannah’s marketing savvy are a distinct combination for Lawrence’s local business scene, providing digital experiences that are similar to much larger retailers and operations.

Doug Stremel is the creative director of Jackalope, which specializes in branding and marketing. He is a professional photographer, video producer and designer who aims for his clients’ online presence to resemble that of their physical locations and their identities as a company. Jackalope, launched by Stremel and Michael Snell in 2017, represents many local companies and entities, with the goal of seamless navigation among the various aspects of the business’ digital presence, from digital ads to their graphic presence in social media and their website, whether on a computer or mobile device.

Jeff Burkhead has been the communications manager since 2013 at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and has seen the necessity of digital communication evolve and increase dramatically during his tenure. A professional photographer, Bur-

OVERUSING THE WORD “DIGITAL”

What does “digital media” even mean? Pretty much all photography is digital now, 99.99% of video is digital, we all talk about algorithms way more than we thought we would, and unfortunately, we’ve probably all had multiple run-ins with bots.

Decades ago, when people discussed the media, they were talking strictly about newspapers, magazines, television and radio. Those were the sole venues for delivering news, and they also provided entertainment. Everyone knew what those media sources were and how to access them. Advertisers and marketers also knew how to send effective messages to their customers through each medium— and arguably they still do.

khead leans on his visual media skills while he crafts Bert Nash’s stories and key messages for a variety of digital media, including the Center’s website and social media accounts.

Doug Stremel and Michael Snell of Jackalope

Wildman Web Solutions’ Hannah says the categories of digital media aren’t really all that different.

“People contextualize messages to each platform just like in the old media days in TV, radio and newspaper. It’s just far more important now to fit the platform you’re using,” he explains.

Wildman takes the approach of building out bigger systems and sets of software that can be scaled down and customized to what each local business needs. With Bassett investing the time and effort to build a big technical infrastructure, he says, then they can cut out and take what the business needs, and not heap on what they don’t. For example, some local Lawrence businesses have their own mobile apps; for others, a mobile app doesn’t fit what they do.

“We worked for giant companies, and a large part of our mission has been to take the larger tech we saw at those places and make it more affordable and accessible,” Bassett says.

Jackalope takes a wide view of a business’ scope and its place in the community, and pairs it with a digital look and feel that captures that. Stremel says logos, colors and even images of the people who work there help to show what the business is about.

“We are really strongly focused on branding and making the website look like the client,” he says. “It’s also about knowing what tool you need and understanding that we can use any tool.”

Stremel then adapts the branding and visual impressions, incorporates messaging and translates all of that to representation in paid media, online ads, including Google ads, and social media as fits the business’ strategy.

For Burkhead’s part, he has worked over time to set the Bert Nash website as a landing place for all sorts of people in different situations: those in crisis who need help,

Photographer Jeff Burkhead at The Cider Gallery

community members curious about the types of services available and even potential donors and volunteers who want to help out. He also has crafted Bert Nash’s social media policy and presence from scratch, and regularly updates four platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

“We want our voice to be positive and encouraging, but also transparent and helpful, and reflective of what is happening,” he says.

KEEPING UP WITH THE MUSKS AND ZUCKERBERGS

Technology changes so quickly, and as we saw with the five-year change in just a few months of 2020, it has to be a type of call-and-response with users and customers. But people change their minds and their habits even quicker than a cursor blink, so how can smaller, local businesses dream of keeping pace?

For their part, Wildman’s Bassett sees the company’s suite of software and applications as a “living, breathing entity,” and he updates the software regularly, then pushes the updates to his clients who use that particular option. That way, they have it before they even know they need it.

“We do something for one client and apply it across to all clients,” he explains.

Stremel says he holds tight to the core attributes of design and branding for each of his clients, while keeping an eye toward what might shape-shift next.

“The landscape moves so quickly in terms of what’s popular and how you can get in front of things. It’s a young person’s game,” he says.

Burkhead says because he’s not in the technology business, he just has to live the serenity prayer and work to control what he can control.

“I began to focus on the storytelling part. It’s important to share the work you’re doing, and it ties in with development, so hopefully they’ll want to support us,” he says.

He much prefers to have the stories and events told by the people at Bert Nash who live them, knowing that personal touch has an impact.

Wildman’s Hannah says that so many businesses see that type of personalization as a challenge of the new media. That’s because, for decades, businesses crafted all of their messages to make them not about the people or the reasons behind the work.

“Digital media is an old story told in a new way. You present your apps, social media and technology in a way that is not top-down anymore. You have to be more authentic from a business perspective, to tell the ‘why’ of why we’re doing business,” he says. Stremel says social media updates are time-consuming for businesses and often start off with regular updates, but then they fall off over time. Especially for smaller businesses, it is all they can do to keep up with the day-to-day tasks of keeping the business afloat, he says.

Wildman offers a social media tool that at least eases the time crunch of posting to multiple platforms. The business client enters the information and photos in one application, and then the posts are distributed to the platforms of their choice. The system also provides metrics so the clients can gauge the reach of their posts.

Even with little tangibility and a lot of capriciousness, digital media continues to be built on a strong foundation of quality visuals, branding and messaging. Those attributes and goals are the things that haven’t changed through the decades or the pandemic—even when going at warp speed.p

The Bert Nash Communications Team. Robin Wagner, Jeff Burkhead and Emily Farley

DON'T Stop the Presses

The theme “learning by doing” is key within KU’s School of Journalism, which prepares its students for today’s ever-evolving media marketplace.

by Anne Brockhoff, photos by Steven Hertzog

The Eudora Times reads just like a small-town newspaper should, with stories about the search for a new city manager, school board decisions and the middle school spelling bee. Reporters attend meetings and events, interview city leaders and residents, write articles and take photos. None are paid, though—University of Kansas (KU) students and faculty comprise the entire staff.

“The best experience my students can get is actually doing it and having the experience of being a reporter,” says Teri Finneman, an associate professor and journalism historian at KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, who launched the online newspaper in 2019 and serves as publisher. “They’re going to learn way more than from me just telling them how to be a reporter.”

That theme—learning by doing—runs deep in KU’s J-school and prepares students to succeed in today’s ever-evolving media marketplace. In addition to The Eudora Times, students contribute to The University Daily Kansan, produce programming for KUJH-TV and Media Crossroads, and craft marketing campaigns at The Agency and Steam Whistle Creative. All teach journalism and mass communications majors essential research, writing, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills while helping them connect with audiences, says Ann Brill, the J-school’s dean.

“Those pillars of journalism have not changed,” Brill says.

TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE

KU has been training journalists since 1891, when it offered its first course in the subject, and journalism classes have been taught continuously since 1903. The Kansas Board of Regents established what was initially known as the William Allen White School of Journalism and Public Information after the Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of The Emporia Gazette died in 1944. It was among the first such schools to be nationally accredited in 1948.

KU’s J-school now offers three bachelor’s degree concentrations: multimedia journalism; digital marketing communications, advertising and public relations; and media arts and production. A fourth concentration, sports media and society, will be offered beginning in fall 2023.

The programs are housed at Stauffer-Flint Hall, which, in 2019, completed a $5-million renovation. A state-of-the-art broadcast and videography studio, and openconcept classroom dominate the ground floor, and facilities were updated throughout the building. There’s a digital instruction space for students; they can also check out cameras and equipment, get writing and editing assistance, tap career resources and access additional services.

The J-school’s core curriculum requires classes like writing and media literacy, as well as data and statistics, audio and video production and editing, graphic design, image editing, web coding and more before students move on to higher-level courses within each concentration. Throughout it all, students focus on creating interac-

tive media experiences and interfacing with increasingly fragmented audiences.

“If you are a left-handed bowler, there’s a website for you. There’s something for everyone now,” Brill explains. “How do you prepare people for that in the big sense? We’re constantly helping students understand why it’s so important in society that we be the storytellers.”

REAL WORLD, REAL MATERIAL

Those stories can take myriad forms, and multimedia journalism graduates find jobs doing everything from writing and editing to blogging, podcasting, producing video and websites, and managing social media content for traditional news outlets and publica-

Dean of the KU Journalism School Ann Brill, with two students in the TV studio

tions, nonprofit organizations, sports teams, digital media companies, health-care systems and more. The best way to ready students to meet those challenges, Finneman says, is to take them on while still at KU.

“I very much want my students to be working in the real world and producing real material, not just homework for a class,” she adds.

That proved more challenging than Finneman expected when she began teaching at KU. She’d hoped to find a small-town newspaper her students could write for and was surprised Eudora didn’t have one. So students in her social media class instead provided content for the Eudora Convention and Visitors Bureau. Then, Finneman created The Eudora Times so there would be a home for feature articles, such as one about the opening of Zeb’s Coffeehouse.

“It was essentially kind of an after-school club at KU” that she and two students for the first two years ran in their spare time, she explains.

The Eudora Times currently has a staff of about 15, mostly from Finneman’s advanced reporting and community journalism classes. They cover everything from county commission meetings to senior activities throughout the school year; the paper goes on hiatus during academic breaks and the summer. It’s all online (except for two special issues that were printed) and financed entirely by donations to the KU Endowment, which provides small scholarships to offset students’ expenses.

Budding journalists garner experience. Eudora benefits from again having a newspaper. Finneman’s vision is greater than that, though: She hopes the paper will help combat the rise of news deserts, or areas where local news coverage is largely absent. More than one-quarter of U.S. newspapers have closed since 2005, and that figure is expected to reach one-third by 2025, according to a report released by Northwestern University last year. The problem is most acute in rural regions, says Finneman, who has collected oral histories from aging newspaper publishers throughout the Great Plains.

Communities become isolated when a newspaper closes, and fewer newspapers means fewer jobs. Publishing The Eudora Times opens students’ eyes to the satisfaction and importance of community journalism, she adds.

Some of her students have “changed the direction of what their interests were because of their experience,” she says. “That’s what I really want to do—to get students to understand the value of community journalism and help serve communities in the future.”

Dean Brill in the TV production room watching students produce the KUJH News

Professor Melissa Greene-Blye works with students producing the KUJH News

KU students maintain their focus during a live news broadcast

The challenges facing newspapers across the country are similarly playing out at what is perhaps KU’s oldest student publication, The University Daily Kansan, whose forerunner debuted in 1904. The Kansan went online during the pandemic; print editions are published only for special events, such as men’s home basketball games.

“We have to be some kind of news organization, but what kind are we trying to be?” says Nick Jungman, The Kansan’s director of strategy. “Will we be like the hybrid newspapers in Kansas City and Wichita, or go completely digital? We’re still trying to figure that out.”

One thing is certain: The Kansan will remain a campus mainstay. About 20 staffers serve in leadership roles, while as many as 100 contribute each semester. The newspaper emphasizes core values like news judgement and ethics, and it teaches students how to forge relationships with audiences through web analytics, social me-

dia and other tools—skills that make graduates marketable.

“If you can demonstrate as a journalism student that you know how to write a story and generate an audience, that’s super valuable to all kinds of employers,” Jungman says.

For students keen on broadcast media, there are ample opportunities through Media Crossroads and KUJH-TV. The glass-fronted studio that’s home to both is the first thing people see when they enter Stauffer-Flint Hall, with its eye-grabbing green screens, camera equipment, large monitors broadcasting professional and campus programming, and 39-foot electronic ticker scrolling news and event information.

Media Crossroads launched in 2012 with one program: Good Morning KU. Now, some 130 students produce 10 to 15 shows a week each semester, ranging from Playmakers and other sports talk shows to ones about being

Jewish or a part of the university’s Greek system, Media Crossroads Director Cal Butcher says. All are live-streamed on Media Crossroads’ Facebook page and campus television, and are available on Midco’s public access cable channel and YouTube.

“The Crossroads is where people who know how to tell stories come together to tell stories,” says Butcher, who is also a lecturer and the sports media liaison between the J-school and KU Athletics.

Students at KUJH-TV report, write, shoot and edit video, as well as work with web, graphic and live elements to produce stories for multiple formats, including daily newscasts. The station also cross-pollinates with other majors, such as atmospheric science students who want to be television meteorologists and those interested in sports management and similar careers.

There’s classwork, to be sure, but much of what students learn hap-

KU students who operate The Agency pose in their lobby

pens in the hours they spend behind and in front of the camera. It’s invaluable experience that routinely leads to internships—indeed, the J-school reports that 75 percent of its 2019 graduates completed at least four internships by the time they matriculated.

Lawrence’s proximity to both Kansas City and Topeka is another advantage, because students can work for broadcast stations while still attending college, says Melissa Greene-Blye, an assistant professor and director of KUJH-TV. As a result, KU’s graduates are often sought out by an industry grappling with a shortage of talent.

“Kids can start in bigger markets than were once open to them,” Greene-Blye says, and they can get that experience even as undergraduates. “I have stations knocking on my door for our juniors.”

DEGREE DEMAND

Demand is also strong for the Jschool’s digital marketing communications, advertising and public relations and media arts and production graduates thanks to the client interactions built into the programs.

“When we talk about our students, everybody says, ‘Let me know when they’re graduating. I need people right now, and I can’t hire people who do things like this,’ ” Brill says.

Students in the digital marketing communications, advertising and public relations concentration typically aspire to careers in advertising, marketing, public relations, social media, promotions, sales, media management and related professions. Before they get to that, though, many work for The Agency and Steam Whistle Creative.

The Agency is a student-run strategic brand and marketing communications agency, while Steam Whistle is what Director Janet Rose calls its “slightly edgier creative hothouse.” Since opening in 2014, students

KU.

“The Agency and Steam Whistle Creative were really created to work with real clients with real problems,” says Rose, who is also a Professor of the Practice. “This is not a club. This is not something you show up at now and then. The people who get involved end up committing a lot of time and work to them.”

The goal: equip students to succeed at agencies big and small, as well as with media organizations, consultancies, publishing, tech companies and other employers right out of the gate.

“We’re trying to help students understand the professional world and navigate those huge curves to become sophisticated, polished professionals,” Rose says.

Student on air talent, camera operators, directors make last second preparations before going live have developed concept, messaging and brand strategies, produced content, provided audience insights and offered related services to clients like McGrew Real Estate, Tomboy Design Studio and several colleges and schools within

PROFESSIONAL FACULTY

To do that, KU relies on faculty and lecturers whose professional credentials run as deep as their academic and research ones. Finneman is a longtime journalist and oft-published journalism historian; Rose honed her skills at agencies including McCannErickson and Saatchi and Saatchi X; and GreeneBlye spent 20 years as a television reporter and anchor. All three hold PhDs, as do many other faculty. The roster also includes newspaper and magazine reporters and editors; sports writers; photojournalists; documentary filmmakers; digital media and creative specialists; corporate public relations, strategic communications and market strategy professionals; and entrepreneurs.

That combined experience and resulting industry networks keep programs fresh, particularly given the interactive nature of media. Visual elements are crucial to all communication formats, and learning to craft them is at the heart of the media arts and production concentration. Audio and video production, content creation, digital media tools like augmented and visual reality, and motion graphics software, project management and gamification are among the advanced electives that give students the foundation to become copywriters and content creators, and produce and direct podcasts, audio, creative video, websites and more. It all comes down to using technology to communicate effectively, regardless of platform.

“It’s one thing to say I can create a cool visual, but what does it communicate? How do we talk about it?” Brill asks.

A NEW PAGE

Almost 85 percent of the 2021 class were employed full time in their chosen field within six months of graduation, the J-school says, and for a growing number of those, that means working in sports.

“When you talk about sports media, there’s this big, huge area,” Brill explains.

So big that the J-school is, this fall, adding sports media and society as a fourth concentration option. The program builds on existing relationships with KU

Athletics and Rock Chalk Video, and adds more opportunities for students aspiring to follow in the footsteps of KU alums like NFL sideline reporter Laura Okmin and sports broadcaster Kevin Harlan, or pursue careers in sports photography, sports management or other areas.

It’s just the latest example of how KU’s J-school works to meet students’ needs, and it’s something William Allen White surely would have appreciated, Brill says.

In 1922, White wrote an editorial titled “To an Anxious Friend” that said, “the orderly business of life will go forward if only men can speak in whatever way given them to utter what their hearts hold—by voice, by posted card, by letter or by press.” It won him a Pulitzer Prize a year later, and Brill says that sentiment holds true today.

“The crux of it, (White) says, is that as long as people keep talking, things will work out,” Brill says. “That’s the role of journalists, public relations people, everybody … to keep the conversation going.”

“We’re constantly helping students understand that’s why we’re so important in society,” she says. “We are the storytellers.” p

Students controlling the sound and visuals from the production room as the KUJH news team wraps up their show in front of their green screen

THE DIGITAL PLATFORM Making It Personal

by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog

Matt Beat can’t help but chuckle when YouTube is mentioned to him as “new media.”

After all, Beat has been posting content to the videosharing website since 2006, when he was promoting his and his brother’s band, Electric Needle Room. Before that, he was using what today are considered antiquated platforms—MySpace and Friendster— trying to spread his music to the masses. YouTube doesn’t seem very new to him.

Here’s what is new. What started as a small way to promote his band and, later, as a teaching aid for his job as a middle school social studies teacher today has become a stand-alone six-figure income as “Mr. Beat,” a vast series of educational, historical and political videos receiving more than 150 million views worldwide.

“My first account on YouTube was for our band,” Beat says. “I remember it was a big deal to post a video back then. I started “Mr. Beat” in 2009 and went public in 2011. It was meant to be a teaching aid. I first monetized my channel in 2013, and I’d typically make an extra $20 for a month.

“It really picked up around 2018, and I started taking it more seriously. 2020 was a really good year. I made more money than I did teaching.”

Now that he’s made “Mr. Beat” his full-time gig, Beat has brought his wife, Shannon, on board as his business manager.

“It’s not something I ever thought we’d be doing,” Shannon Beat says. “But if you know Matt, it’s not surprising. If he starts something, he sticks with it.”

In this age of technology, Beat is one among millions around the world who have discovered that new or

New and social media platforms are no longer simple online communication ser vices but can now be used to create profitable careers.

Matt Beat aka Mr. Beats in his home studio recording a podcast against a green screen

social media, be it Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or lesser-known sites like Twitch, Discord and Rumble, can be utilized to build lucrative careers as content providers or influencers. Several of those using social media as a business or to help their business reside in the Lawrence area.

A couple of those social media users include Ian Weaver, a longtime sketch comedy writer who is working to build viewership for his “Geeks Welcome” podcast to a level so that he might make it a full-time pursuit; and Jay Pryor, a longtime Lawrence-area executive coach and motivational speaker, who uses social media to get the word out about the services they provide.

“I prefer to use the term engage, not advertise,” Pryor says. “Back in the day when social media first came into existence, the mantra was, ‘Content is king.’ Just crank out the content. Now we are in a new age of connection, and relationships are more of a focus.

“This new generation really wants to engage. If you want to go deeper, then we can move on from there.”

MAKING “MR. BEAT”

In the early 2010s, Beat was a middle school social studies teacher who had to coach tennis and basketball after school and in the evenings just to make ends meet for himself, Shannon and their two young daughters. At the turn of the decade, he discovered students responded well to video learning—watching short, educational videos about subjects ranging from American and world history to politics.

He had some knowledge of video editing and production from the journalism degree he’d earned at the University of Kansas (KU) and from working at TV station KSNT in Topeka. He had the experience of making and posting videos promoting Electric Needle Room on YouTube. So he had the knowledge to begin making his own social studies educational video content. When he started as a student teacher, the videos were strictly for local use—his classes and those of his colleagues.

“Students were forgiving about crappy editing and production,” Beat says.

Around 2012, YouTube started monetizing content. He says the platform gives 55 percent of ad revenue to creators, by far the most of any of the social media

Mr. Beat on location (or is he) and in his studio putting together a new show

platforms. At first, it didn’t amount to much. He estimates he earns an average of $2 to $3 for every 1,000 views of a video.

“I was just hoping that the videos would supplement my income enough so I wouldn’t have to coach, and I could spend more time with my family,” Beat explains.

Another advantage of YouTube, he adds, is that the platform promotes its creators for free. As he improved the quality and quantity of his videos, he found the number of views increasing rapidly.

“I remember, my first viral video was, “Why is Kansas City in Missouri?” he says. “It was just a little six-minute video, but it did really well.”

Beat published videos about the presidential elections and, one that was particularly popular, “Why Kansas and Missouri Hate Each Other.” He has longer videos where he tries to call every United States senator and every representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also has published more recent explainers about the Persian Gulf War of the early 1990s, “Every President’s Biggest Accomplishment” and “How Each President Died.” This informative content Beat keeps entertaining with presentation and production flare.

While 2020 was a good year for him, with everyone sheltering and spending more time watching videos because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 was absolutely banner. From YouTube ad revenue alone, he says he brought in about $150,000. And that’s far from Beat’s only revenue stream. He also posts content on TikTok, Instagram, Rumble out of Canada and Facebook. He also has a Patreon, where subscribers pay him directly to support his content.

In all, Beat has more than 750,000 subscribers and has had more than 150 million views of his content.

“We just try different platforms and see what works,” Shannon Beat says. “We always want to stay up with the times and try out new things.”

For “Mr. Beat,” though, the ad revenue from YouTube is the bread and butter.

“The goal is always growth,” Beat says. “The more impact, the better. I feel like I’m having success if making these videos spreads empathy around the world. People are more hateful about things they don’t know very well.

“Money is a by-product. It doesn’t motivate me. I just want to make an impact.”

Jay Pryor, coach and motivational speaker

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE A BUSINESS

Pryor can’t help but be a bit self-deprecating when it comes to leveraging social media for professional gain.

“You can make a lot of money through social media,” they say, adding with a chuckle, “I just don’t know how to do it.”

Still, Pryor uses it quite extensively in engaging a potential audience. While their 16-year-old business might be relatively small, it’s impactful. They published a book in 2013 titled “Lean Inside: Seven Steps to Personal Power: A Practical Guide to Transformation for Women,” which they say sheds “perspective that you have everything in you to succeed. It’s time to look inside more than outside.”

Pryor speaks to executive leaders and teams in business communities, facilitates corporate trainings and workshops, and does keynote speaking around the world. Much of their work focuses on speaking and working with 2SLGBTQIA-plus groups (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and the plus, which reflects the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify).

Pryor, who transitioned from female to male at the age of 35, takes the experience living as a gender nonconforming person and the insight of how differently women experience the world versus men, and addresses challenges the LGBTQ-plus community faces daily, and how those challenges translate to the workforce. With their own unique methodology, they serve as an advocate and educator for transgender and gender nonconforming people, seeking inclusivity and gender consciousness.

Pryor utilizes Facebook in engaging an audience they say is “older.” LinkedIn is used to engage a more professional audience. They’re trying to get better at using plat-

forms like Twitter and Instagram.

“I’ve hired younger people to help me,” Pryor says.

They also have a YouTube channel—at jaypryorcoaching. com—where Pryor says they’ve averaged putting out a video per week since 2012. They also cohost “The Gender Reveal Party” podcast, which can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Apple, or wherever podcasts are available.

“I’m a speaker,” Pryor says. “The more people who hear me speak, the more stages I get on.

“Facebook and LinkedIn are where I get the most friction.”

They say they also have a membership platform, where people can make a free call and are invited to delve deeper into anything they want to talk about. They say they’ve also looked into apps like Clubhouse and Fireside.

“The way I see it, everything is energy,” Pryor says.

GEEKS WELCOME

Ian Weaver has had what could be considered a full-circle experience with YouTube.

A huge fan and proponent of sketch comedy since early childhood, he and some classmates posted what then were rudimentary videos to the platform back when YouTube first got off the ground around 2005. As a film student at the University of Kansas, he got with friends and began writing scripts for a web series, again revolving around sketch comedy.

“Comedy has always been my life,” Weaver says. “My mom and dad showed me a lot of sketch comedy growing up—

Ian Weaver, “Geeks Welcome”

“Saturday Night Live,” “Monty Python,” things like that. I’ve always had a great love for it.”

Soon after graduation in 2012, that group started filming a series of videos that would become “Gaming Wildlife,” a sketch comedy web series that, at its peak, would have 43 million views and 200,000 subscribers.

Then what happened to a lot of social media businesses happened to “Gaming Wildlife.” While Weaver and his cohorts had the creative side of the business down to a science, that wasn’t the case with the business side. Too many hands were reaching out for too little money. Eventually, “Gaming Wildlife” was no more.

He says he was burned out and needed to step away from the web series business after that. But it wasn’t long before he began reconnecting with a group of friends, and talk of starting a new web series reignited the passion.

“We were able to do this once; I figure we can do it again,” Weaver explains.

The result is “Geeks Welcome.” In what currently is just a few episodes per month, “Geeks Welcome” content can be broken into three series: “The Completely Honest Series,” a parody sketch series of corporate-style talking head videos, the “GW Reacts,” where the group reacts to other sketch comedy groups, and a third series of various comedy sketches. Subscribers currently number around 350, but he says “Gaming Wildlife” also started modestly before catching fire.

Weaver expects to be able to monetize the web series sometime around June of this year. To make ends meet in the meantime, he works part time at the Lawrence Arts Center and as a delivery driver. “It’s all about being able to express yourself,” he says. “It’s not something you can jump into and expect to be successful right away. You have to take it slowly and build, and cultivate a following. It takes time, but it’s possible. You can build a brand and a successful business off of this.

“That’s what we did before, and that’s what I’m trying to do again,” he says. p

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE Local Newspaper

by Tara Trenary, photos by Steven Hertzog

Newspapers are a critical part of American culture and have been for decades. Recently, however, they have been hit hard because of the trend toward digital media. Newspapers have been losing revenue, and their subscriber bases have been declining since the mid-2000s. The bright side is that their online traffic has begun to grow, helping those who are willing to follow current trends.

The New York Times reported in June 2022 that more than 360 newspapers had closed since the pandemic began, at the same pace as before the pandemic (about two per week). The initial fear was that the pace would increase because of the pandemic, but that hasn’t happened. The pace has actually remained steady, The Times explains, and that, in itself, is not actually good news. Since 2005, more than 2,500 newspapers have closed, and the country is set up to lose a third of its newspapers by 2025. In addition, many media giants, such as Gan-

nett, have had to cut staff and circulation, and shut down failing newspapers.

“The newspaper industry has changed a lot over the years,” says Chad Lawhorn, editor and publisher of the Lawrence Journal-World (LJ-W), which publishes a print edition six days per week except for Monday and has about 20 full-time employees, half journalists and half in departments such as advertising, circulation, customer service and other areas.

“That is why it is important that we evolved many years ago into a much broader media company.”

He explains that some people who used to get their information through print media now get it solely online, but many use both. “We are fortunate that Lawrence cares about news. It is a community that likes to get involved with issues, and having access to accurate information can be a key to that involvement. At the end of the day, that interest adds up to good audiences for us.”

According to the Reuters Institute report “Journal-

Although the rise of online media has hit the newspaper industry hard, it’s far from dead.

ism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2023,” by Nic Newman, senior research associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, news organizations that have not yet embraced digital will be at a severe disadvantage. “The next few years will not be defined by how fast we adopt digital but by how we transform our digital content to meet rapidly changing audience expectations,” he explains.

The Institute surveyed 303 media leaders in 53 countries, including 68 editors-in-chief, 49 CEOs or managing directors, and 44 heads of digital or innovation from some of the world’s leading traditional media companies and digital-born organizations. The survey concluded less than half (44%) of the sample say they are confident about their business prospects in the year ahead, with almost as many (37%) uncertain and around a fifth (19%) expressing low confidence.

According to the same report, 2023 will see more newspapers trim down or even stop seven-day-aweek publications. Distribution networks will weak-

en. Digital subscriptions and bundling will continue to increase, and the focus will be on keeping existing customers rather than adding new ones. Price cuts, special offers and longer trial periods will become prominent, and media outlets will put a spotlight on their mission and the quality of their journalism. Having multiple revenue streams, such as subscriptions, funding from tech platforms, display and native advertising, events, ecommerce, donations and philanthropies will all become much more important.

COMMUNITY WATCHDOG

The functions of a strong news operation are essential to a thriving democracy, where reliable reporting and informed commentary keep people abreast of the life of their community, explains William McKenzie, senior editorial advisor at the Bush Institute, in its journal “The Catalyst.” But internet and social media platforms have drastically changed the news business. “On the positive side, new technologies have given consumers instant, direct access to innumer-

Chad Lawhorn, sitting in his LJW office

able sources of information,” he explains. “On the negative side, consumers have little reason to pay for traditional news reporting if they can get information free off the internet and from social media.” But then, there is no guarantee the information is factual, reliable and vetted by trained journalists.

“When we don’t have local journalists who can cover local open meetings, decisions and power structures can operate unwatched,” says Virginia Musser, research project coordinator at the Center for Public Partnerships and Research, the University of Kansas (KU), and a graduate of the KU School of Journalism. “Local publications should be the people who stand up and say ‘This isn’t right’ about something in the community. It’s up to them to amplify marginalized voices and keep elected officials accountable for their actions.”

Lawhorn agrees. “While the websites have changed much about our business, the core aspect of our business remains the same: We make our living by providing accurate, timely, important and, hopefully, interesting information.”

He says the most important part of the equation is the information going through the journalistic process. “There’s lots of information floating around in the world. There is no shortage of information in today’s society,” he adds. “There is a shortage of information that goes through the journalistic process.”

Lawhorn explains the journalistic process involves journalists who follow a certain set of ethics: It involves copy editors who are checking information before it is published; it involves rules and standards about how we source information and much more.

“Hopefully, what we bring to the community is information that people can trust. Our job really isn’t to try to get you to think a certain way or sign up for a particular cause. Our main job is to gauge the interests of the community, take the time to learn and understand those interests in a meaningful way, and then provide the public with information in a manner that the public can trust is accurate and appropriate.”

Musser agrees. “Ideally, a print publication will help a community stay connected,” she explains. “A print publication can curate the presentation of subjects

Lawrence Journal-World

in a way that exposes you to news you might miss if you were just scrolling through your own news feed. It’s a historic artifact of a community’s daily life as opposed to a flickering page online.” Both ways of preserving information are critical, she says, “but no online site will ever beat the feeling of holding a newspaper in my hand while reading the day’s news.”

Lawhorn says he understands the importance of providing accurate and appropriate information to community members, and though the paper may not always hit the mark, it remains important to his team each and every day. “I’m fortunate to work with a great staff that really takes it to heart.”

QUALITY IS KEY

In the past, there were few ways to get local information other than through a newspaper, but technology has created many ways information can be delivered to consumers, Lawhorn explains. “That’s good. Choices are good.

Our challenge is to make sure the information we are providing is high quality. Then it becomes like Coca Cola in a bottle or Coca Cola in a can. People may have their preferences, but as long as it is Coca Cola, it is going to sell pretty well.”

And challenges such as costs—materials, gas for delivery, the price of newsprint and labor—can pose a challenge, he continues. But other businesses, not just print media, also face similar challenges. “None of that, though, has diminished our commitment to publishing newspapers. A newspaper is still a very popular product both with subscribers and advertisers.”

Lawhorn says lots of subscribers have a personal preference for a newspaper. “They like opening up a paper … rather than plugging in a laptop. They like that a newspaper doesn’t hurt their eyes like the glare of an electronic screen does. They like how we organize the content of the paper. There are all types of preferences like those that are perfectly legitimate reasons to prefer a printed newspaper over one of our websites. … We are very pleased that newspapers remain popular with readers.”

Chad Lawhorn, Publisher/Editor and Writer of the Lawrence Journal World

So who is the target customer for print newspapers?

“I think, honestly, it’s mostly people my age and older who still remember what newspapers used to be,” Musser explains. “But it’s like reading a book: Some people are just always going to prefer holding a physical object in their hands.”

She says she hopes print and digital media can coexist, because we need them both. “The digital divide is real, and it’s not going away anytime soon. If information shifts to all-digital presentation, who are we excluding?”

One example, Musser relates, is a school that has an online newspaper instead of a printed newsletter. “How are families going to stay connected? Most of the middle-class world has no problem pulling out a phone and getting online. But what about other socioeconomic groups? Is it easy for families who are struggling with making it through each day?”

Digital equity is critical for civic participation, for community participation, for education and for access to essential services, she continues. “And right now, we’re looking at a community where high-schoolers will no longer have access to laptop computers, so I’m not feeling very optimistic about digital equity happening without a lot of advocacy and insistence.”

EMBRACE CHANGE

Lawhorn explains that newspaper media is like any other business in that it must evolve and change its practices to get its fair share of a person’s time and money. “But we are in a good place to do so,” he says. “We really do interact with tens of thousands of area residents every day. Very few local businesses can say that.”

Some changes the Journal-World has embraced recently include requiring users to pay for news content online. “I’m a fan of that change,” he says. “I’ve come to believe that if you think local journalism is important, you have to believe in it enough to ask people to pay for it.”

The LJ-W requires a digital subscription to access most of its content on LJWorld.com. It pro-

vides free access to the website at the Lawrence Public Library, and certain articles are also provided for free. “That’s basically the same model that has served the publishing industry well for a long time (bookstores don’t give their books away for free),” Lawhorn explains. “But the newspaper industry deluded itself early in the internet age that it could give away its content and simply rely on internet advertising to pay the bills. Ultimately, I don’t think anyone ends up being very well-served by that.”

In 2022, a year when many subscription-based businesses struggled ,the LJ-World posted digital subscription growth. Just recently, it introduced a redesigned website for KUsports.com, a great improvement over the last website. Late last year, staff did a redesign of the Tonganoxie Mirror website, and they continue to experiment with video. The LJ-World also has more than 31,000 followers on Facebook and almost 40,000 followers on Twitter. “We have to be a business that can meet people’s information needs in the manner they most prefer. That always will be a work in progress,” Lawhorn says.

Traditional advertising remains on the scene, as well. For advertisers, he explains, the nature of the newspaper makes it attractive in ways that some other media can’t. People who read the newspaper usually pay around $20 a month to get the paper. “That is a good sign that they are going to spend some time with it. If you are trying to get people to notice your ad, having a product that people spend time with is a real positive.”

Plus, newspapers continue to have a great tradition of saving people money through the coupons, Lawhorn adds. “We still deliver $100-plus worth of coupons many Sundays. Lots of people actually buy newspapers because of the ads that are in it. Those are very valuable customers for local businesses.

“Trying to figure out how to meet the different needs of those different types of readers can be very challenging, but it also makes it very rewarding,” he says. “We are very glad that people still care greatly about what we do.” p

THE POWER OF FILM Kevin Willmott

Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter embraces the past in his films and believes we all need to know one another’s history.

by Darin White, photos courtesy of Kevin Willmott

Kevin Willmott at his desk

Growing up in Junction City, Kansas, a town of around 20,000 people in the 1960s and ’70s, Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter, and professor of film at the University of Kansas (KU) Kevin Willmott quickly fell in love with movies. He has worked on film projects that focus on black issues, including “Ninth Street,” “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America,” “Bunker Hill,” “Destination Planet Negro,” “Jayhawkers,” “The Only Good Indian,” “The 24th” and more. He has also collaborated with director Spike Lee on films “BlacKkKlansman” “Chi-Raq” and “Da 5 Bloods.”

Located 24 miles southwest of Manhattan, Junction City was a great town to be introduced to films, as it had three movie theaters and a drivein. Kids could exchange eight Coke bottle tops for entrance to Summer “Coke Top” movies, perhaps because the town was the first city west of the Mississippi River to distribute Coca-Cola. Many times, the films were double features. Features like Jason and the Argonauts or Westerns may have been playing, and Willmott went to every chance he could almost every weekend. Sidney Poitier’s films were breaking barriers for African Americans being portrayed on the big screen but were exploitative of Blacks; this had a big impact on him. He didn’t see Disney or kid movies, only grown-up films like Westerns, war movies, James Bond or maybe a comedy. “It was a great time to grow up and fall in love with movies,” Willmott reminisces.

All of this has been on his mind lately, as the next film he is working on is “Brothers Gonna Work it Out,” an autobiography of sorts about growing up in Junction City. The film follows Willmott and his friend Bobby Taylor, as well as a female friend of theirs, in the adventures they had and going to the movies. The focus is on the blaxploitation movies, such as “Superfly,” “Shaft” and others, they would watch and how, at the same time, he dealt with exploitation in his life and of those around him. Inspired or influenced in part by the Italian film “Cinema Paradiso,” which in many ways parallels his experiences in Junction City, this film explores how he became a filmmaker.

WRITING STORIES

At an early age, Willmott began writing stories or plays outside of class, which his sixth-grade teacher allowed him to read during class. The stories were really movies written out. He would act out the movies he saw in the backyard with his buddies. This, along with drawing images, being creative and imagining allowed him to express himself and find his artistic side.

He attended Marymount College in Salina, Kansas, and credits professor Dennis Denning for having an impact on him and teaching him playwriting. Willmott wrote one of his first full plays, “Pearls,” at this time. This play was based on the Italian film “Swept Away,” by Lina Wertmüller, and he began writing plays based on movies. The next play he wrote, “Ninth Street,” helped get him into New York University (NYU) film school. At NYU, Willmott was finally able study film and screenwriting. He notes that as a screenwriter and director, he realized he would have to make his own films if he wanted to tell his own stories. “No one is going to hire (you) without you making a movie,” Willmott explains, “your resume is your movie.” In the early ’90s, he came back to Kansas to make the play “Ninth Street” into a film. It took about a decade to produce the movie, and he says making it was his real film school.

Kevin Willmott with his “Oscar” for the screenplay BlacKkKlansman”

One of the best pieces of advice Willmott received from director Reginald Hudlin was to make another movie, which he did. “CSA: The Confederate States of America” got into the Sundance Film Festival, where he met director Spike Lee.

THE COMMUNITY

After NYU, Willmott got involved in activism and community organizing, which he sees as similar to producing. For both, you must develop a community around an idea that can create the story you are trying to tell. “If you have a good script, people will believe in your vision ... It’s the glue that holds it all together,” he says. Independent film is all about the community working on a common goal, which is why he decided to stay in the Lawrence area: the community. The driving force behind this film community is to tell a story, and he encourages his students “to try and fill the niche that Hollywood doesn’t fill.”

As part of a local and national film and creative community Willmott has built, members help each other in various ways with keeping up with new trends in filmmaking, equipment, processes, special effects and more. KU professor Matt Jacobson has been Willmott’s cinematographer on most of his movies, and he understands the technical side of filmmaking. Mark von Schlemmer (a former student of Willmott’s) has been his editor for many years. A lot has changed in the last few years, which makes it hard to keep up sometimes. This is another reason it is important to surround himself with a community of creatives. “You can’t do everything,” Willmott says. “My job is to write, direct and act when I need to.” His team includes a number of people in Los Angeles and its film industry, and others in the Lawrence/Kansas City area and beyond.

Filmmaker, KU professor and community member Laura Kirk believes, “Kevin’s leadership makes a set that is warm and open for creativity. While having industry experience and success, he always meets every single human where they are. He’s extremely loyal to this arts community. We want to do our best for him. There’s a lot of laughing, and there’s the gravity when we’re doing the heavy truth that needs to be told. Long days feel short working with Kevin.”

Willmott believes in the power of film. In the 1950s and ’60s, there were “problem films.” “‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,’ ‘The Fine Ones,’ ‘Gentleman’s Agreement.’ These movies defined American problems,” Willmott explains. “I would like to believe that movies make us better. ... At a time when Republicans are trying to erase black history from education, it’s really important that we tell these stories. We all need to know each other’s history.” He says he has benefited so much from learning not only Black history but everyone’s, including Native Americans. Events like the Holocaust and other important history throughout time needs to be known. “Movies are a big part of this,” he says.

Willmott believes stories through movies about history are foundational to America, “and it is how a multiracial democracy succeeds ... and that is why limiting knowing each other’s histories is so antidemocratic.”

Kevin Willmott

When Willmott started out as a filmmaker, he would show up to a meeting in Hollywood, and people would be surprised that he was Black. So few people of color could get into those meetings. He believes it is a great moment in time to be a Black filmmaker and recommends we not forget how hard it used to be. The ability to use the plethora of media available to filmmakers and writers. The ease of being able to research and look up something quickly online. As a screenwriter, Willmott doesn’t believe in “writer’s block” but thinks it is “not knowing what to do next ...You need to leave—kind of—what you’re doing, put yourself in a place that will help you know what to do next,” he explains. Libraries are a great place to do this in a digital age.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Willmott says the film industry has changed; it’s not just filmed in Los Angeles or New York any longer. And film incentives are making a huge difference in where filmmakers decide to shoot their films. If there are no incentives, they will go elsewhere. Kansas has missed out on many film opportunities and the funds generated through producing the film here. Wilmott’s film The 24th was filmed in North Carolina, but he would have preferred to shoot it in Kansas using Kansas film crews, actors and workers, and supporting local businesses—keeping the funds in Kansas. He is currently collaborating with a number of people to get the State of Kansas to create tax initiatives and incentives for new film or TV projects, or production activity in Kansas. The economic impact could be substantial for the state, as many other states currently have these incentives in place. Grow Kansas Film is a not-for-profit group that is helping coordinate these efforts.

With all of his passion, talent and personality, Willmott will continue to tell stories, teach upcoming generations, collaborate with his community and encourage and inspire others to make this world a better place one movie at a time. p

CONNECTIVITY Going Above & Beyond

Midco is now offering new technology that expands its in-home Wi-Fi coverage, give customers more control over their systems, increase security and enhance the customer-service experience.

by Darin White

Technology is an ever-changing and developing tool that has the potential to change how we work, play, provide philanthropy—almost every facet of our lives. Bill Chatwell, vice president of product engineering at Midco, says that while it is a technology-driven company, “Midco is in the business of connectivity.”

Connectivity goes above and beyond technology, as it provides the ability for the customer to use technology in more directed ways that are customized to their needs. Midco has and continues to offer internet and landline services, and also video products, including for news and sports.

Within the past year, Midco has rolled out a new version of Midco Wi-Fi, which, as part of the connectivity, goes way beyond the hardware components with new technology brought to the market. New hardware elements allow for expanding Wi-Fi coverage, and “pods” that boost this coverage are available. Up to a total of six pods, which “continually adjust to home usage, topography and neighborhood activity to deliver in-home performance beyond the capabilities of standard … systems,” according to the Midco website, can be installed per system.

New cloud-based software components are also pivotal and drive the hardware, and it features intelligence that gives the consumer control of his or her network. It allows for more security and greater parental controls, including blocking content/websites, self-monitoring and more. This new system also has enabled customer support to provide even more understanding and help, allowing for troubleshooting issues that arise with the ability to see what the customer sees in real time.

While speed was a major issue previously, it is not as important now, as speed has become more universal. The conversation focuses now more on quality, reliability and consistency throughout the space. Chatwell describes consistency as delivering data with lower latency (less delay) and lower jitter (less timing deviation). He says that currently, pods are available in different versions, with new and even more capable products being developed and coming to market in the next year and a half.

Midco TV has had a number of recent changes and updates, as well, which rolled out to Lawrence in October 2021. The major change was from an RF- based (radio frequency, fixed co-

Background:

axial cable) delivery to IP (Internet Protocol). This is the same type of delivery as Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, etc. The set-top box, which used to be a larger box that was limited to a location where the coaxial cable was located, is now much smaller and more powerful, and has more flexibility. It is easy for consumers to install themselves. The set-top box’s DVR storage “cloud-enabled” in a Midco data center and is based on an Android TV operating system. A new feature allows you to go back in time three days on many channels, even if you didn’t record a program, to watch it. Another excellent feature is the set-top box aggregates all content, so you can search for a title, and it will check across all of your TV channels, Netflix or any other OTT video application connected to the service. All is available through the set-top box or on the Midco TV mobile app.

It is a constant challenge to keep up with customers’ needs and applications, and in Chatwell’s view, “[it is] a privilege to serve the community.” This helps Midco stay up-to-date on technology and the ever-changing landscape of media service, as well as the connectivity it provides. While we can’t see into the future—what new technology or systems will be invented, and in what way these connections will help us—it is nice to know we can build upon our strong foundations of innovation that brought us to this point. p

Bill Chatwell, Vice Presidnet of Product Engineering at Midco.

gonin - stock.adobe.com

BIG-SCREEN BUSINESS Marc Havener

Local filmmaker uses his ties in Hollywood to tell stories and create videos that resonate with people while building up his community in the process.

by Darin White

Aerial photography by Marc Havener for the Stan Herd earthwork “Build Back Better”

It might be said that despite challenges, our choice to focus on the positive, to believe the glass is half full, to take the sunny-side up view—whatever the colloquialism, saying, good juju, prayers or the like—our focus does make a difference.

Filmmaker Marc Havener, who operates Resonate Pictures, tells compelling stories in a number of ways: commercials, web spots, documentaries and short films. He reveals, “What draws me to telling stories is their power to develop empathy. The more empathy a community or business has, the stronger it becomes. Imagine a place where people and businesses value each other as much as themselves.”

Havener told stories long before they were award-winning films, including “Dear Larry: A Letter to Home.” The COVID public service announcement (PSA) about the beautiful city of Lawrence during the heart of the pandemic has won two American Advertising Awards national Addys and Best of Show at the KC AD Club Awards.

WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD

After graduating from the University of Kansas (KU) in film, Havener moved to Los Angeles and, not long after, got a job as a barista. He had many patrons who were A-list actors. One of

them was James Caviezel, who helped Havener land his first role on the Ang Lee film “Ride With the Devil,” which was, ironically, back in the Kansas City area. He remembers the first decade of his career working in Hollywood and how it felt like a small community. “A lot of people and personalities working together, all with individual interests but with a common goal of creating something great. I’ve worked with Kevin Costner, George Clooney, Kate Bosworth, among others, and they all taught me by example that being kind and respectful leads to a more efficient process. Being disrespectful and demeaning does the opposite.”

In Los Angeles, when he was working as a production assistant (one of the least powerful people on set) for other films, , he “kept a pretty positive, can-do attitude.”

Occasionally, a stressed-out producer, assistant director or stunt coordinator would get upset and take it out on him. Most of the time, he was able to take the criticism in stride. On one occasion, a very successful, multipleOscar-winning producer berated him as he was driving a golf cart across the Sony lot to the Jimmy Stewart building for not driving quickly, directly or for some other reason. His wife had just recently had their first child, and perhaps with a new understanding of the world, Havener let him know that was not how he was supposed to be treated. The next day, he was told not to come back to work.

“The point is, I’ve seen leadership that builds up and leadership that tears down,” he explains. “I want to build up my community.

Lawrence is a great place to practice that, because you can see results from even the smallest contributions. It’s like the difference between a drop of water in an ocean versus a drop of water in a drinking glass. I’d say most of my contributions come through my art. I’m grateful for this place where I’ve been able to turn my art and passions into a business that can help strengthen and build the community and businesses and organizations.”

BACK TO LAWRENCE

A decade after he first got that fated Hollywood job, Havener moved back to Lawrence with his wife to raise his young family and focus on telling stories. He does build up his community in films like “Dear Larry: A Letter to Home,” “The Beauty Within” for Van Go, and “Fill Up Pour Out” for Heartland Community Health Center(HCHC) .

“The Beauty Within” is a short film that follows five Van Go graduates who speak about their younger selves and how being involved in Van Go changed them for good during dark or challenging times—possibly even saved some of their lives. It received three Kansas City Addy Awards, which “recognizes and rewards the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.”

Co-executive directors at Van Go, Eliza Darmon and Kristen Malloy, observe: “From the minute Marc walked in Van Go, we could see his wheels turning on how best to tell the story of what happens within these walls beyond the artwork and job training. His vision

Ever hear the saying “attitude of gratitude”? This understanding about the way we view things can drastically affect the way we see and live our lives.

for the project and respect for the alumni who told their stories was impeccable. He is a genuine collaborator who intently listened and took our ideas to heart.”

Havener believes, “If a story is going to resonate with people, it has to move them on an emotional level. That’s the question I’m asking before every project. Be it for a business, an organization or a community … why will people care about this? They will care if they are moved. They will care if they feel an emotion. And they will care if it is a reflection of their inner world. If you make them care, whatever you are trying to communicate will stick.”

The documentary short film “Fill Up Pour Out” is described in the intro as, “Set in Lawrence, Kansas, this film looks into what motivates three health-care workers driven to serve their patients inside a complicated system and reshape the way care is given regardless of background or circumstances.” Havener follows Heartland Community Health Center employees who, as former director of HCHC, Jon Stewart states, “We deliver health care, not sick care.”

RESPECT

Havener would like people to understand and take to heart the quote by Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said … but people will never forget how you made them feel.” He helps his clients look beyond the product and service, tell the story and be drawn in by the message, which is what the audience or customer will connect to and will more likely “be absorbed, internalized and remembered.”

In addition to working with not-for-profit groups, Resonate Pictures has shaped stories for Fortune 500 companies, including Spotify, Altria and InBev. It has also worked on pieces for President Biden’s election campaign and the Presidential Inauguration Day Parade. Havener’s goal in his work is to “... help businesses uncover their story and then tell it in a way that will resonate with their audience.”

He does just this as he continues to collect awards, laurels and Addys. He maintains a positive attitude and is grateful for the opportunity to create a life for himself and his family in Lawrence, Kansas, and tell powerful stories that can make a difference and change lives. p

Marc filming the KU Basketball Championship paradephoto by Jeff Burkhead top to bottom: Marc filming an EZ Go commercial on a golf course, Courtesy of Reliant Studios

Movie poster for "The Burley Farmer" by Marc Havener

Directing a VanGo film , photo by Mariah Seifert

BUILDING Success Online

Thinking outside the box is important in web design today since the pandemic has altered the way people work and do business.

by Nick Spacek, photos by Steven Hertzog

The world of web design is much different now than it was when the World Wide Web was the only access point for the information superhighway. With social media platforms accounting for a full 19% of all internet traffic as opposed the ’web’s 13%, according to a September 2021 Visual Capitalist article, it’s almost inaccurate to describe it as “web” design.

Much of the work being done by local firms sees as many workers in graphic design and communications as are in coding for an organization or business’ website. Part of this is due to social media, but another reason there’s a need for expanded skills sets comes as a result of the COVID pandemic, which saw many organizations rapidly shift from in-person activities to online.

“We had a number of clients that were trying to take some of their public programming and turn it virtual during the pandemic,” says Sarah Bishop, CEO and founder of Coneflower Consulting. One example of this is the firm’s work with Humanities Kansas, an independent nonprofit dedicated to “programming, grants and partnerships that share stories to spark conversations” through grants and support for community resources.

The Coneflower team of Kathryn Clark, CEO & Founder Sarah Bishop, and Jeremy Mullis

Right: Websites created by Coneflower

“They were really looking for ways to take some of their in-person programming during the pandemic and make it something that was accessible to folks,” Bishop continues. “One thing that we created for them early on was a project that we called the ‘Humanities Hotline.’ ”

Every month, the Humanities Hotline would feature four different humanities scholars,“whether those were academics working at universities or public scholars who worked in museums, or were just doing independent scholarship on a variety of different humanities topics usually related to Kansas.” They would be recorded telling a oneto two-minute story, which would then be made available via hotline platform Teleo for people to call in and get different human stories every month for free.

“It was really fun,” Bishop recalls. “It was just a great way for people who maybe were quarantining but also weren’t very digitally connected or digitally literate to be able to still access some of that humanities programming.”

LATERAL THINKING

Setting up a hotline might be something a little further outside the scope of most web design firms, but it seems as though everyone who runs one is willing to step outside the box in order to help clients achieve their goals. For Jacinta Langford Hoyt, CEO of LangfordMedia, her motivation to add to her skills set has come about because of curiosity, as well as wanting to make her clients happy.

“I think I just genuinely enjoy the (learning process),” Hoyt explains. “At the time that I started doing this, the online world was just blowing up. Online marketing really took off.”

Just prior to founding LangfordMedia in 2009, Hoyt worked for a company that followed the usual rules of promotion, wherein the first letter of their business was ‘A,’ and in the phone book, that was the first thing that came up.

Since then, she says, it’s grown from Google ads to being on Facebook to having a presence on Instagram, TikTok and whatever might happen next. “That was all exciting to me to keep up with: ‘There’s new stuff. Let’s check it out. Let’s make a statement on this platform and try to get something viral going.’ ”

Before new initiatives or growing a presence, however, the process starts with a simple question, creative consultant Ashley McCaskill says.

“The very first step is, I just like to talk to people and just get their first impressions of what their needs are,” she explains. From there, she’ll refer to the extensive brand workbook she’s put together and begin asking follow-up questions, such as, “Do you have a brand now,” and “What’s lacking in it? Are there parts of your audience you feel like you’re really not reaching? Why do you think that is?”

The biggest part of any design project, they all agree, is shifting the client mentality from viewing their business or organization from the inside to thinking about it from the outside—how others see it.

McCaskill says this can be tricky for local businesses and nonprofits because, “Local businesses are

run by our neighbors. When you start a business, it’s a huge part of you, and so it’s really hard to step outside of it and think about it from an outside perspective.”

The same goes for nonprofits, she explains, because everyone who works there is so passionate about the organization and so deeply entrenched in it, that taking a minute to think about it from a reversed perspective can be challenging for those within that organization.

“A lot of it is, ‘Let’s figure out who we’re really trying to reach, and let’s really get in the mindset of what do they need and what is going to say the right things to them,’ ” McCaskill says.

A UNIQUE PRESENCE

What a lot of folks need is, in fact, a website, says Jeremy Mullis, Coneflower’s director of web and graphic design. Despite the appeal of many social media platforms and the ease of use for both the people creating posts and those looking at them, it’s hard to know which platform will be here today and gone tomorrow. No designer wants his or her client to invest in designing a really superlative Facebook page only for it to become as relevant as MySpace is now within a short time.

“If a website is set up well, it’s the piece of your web presence that you, as an organization, really do own and control,” Mullis explains. “More and more, social media is playing a bigger role in terms of timely updates and feeding people into that.”

However, he adds, if you think about those platforms, one can’t know from one year to the next what will happen to any one of them, and no one owns anything that is on those platforms. He believes part of the importance of having a website is presenting a presence that is uniquely yours.

“It can have your branding and serve as a more evergreen landing page for, ‘This is who we are and what we do,’ ” Mullis offers as the end goal. “And depending on your specific organization, it may do any number of other things, but I think that’s the core functionality everyone basically needs, regardless of how big their organization is.”

Langford agrees.

“There was one point, there was this thing called Foursquare,” Langford explains of the social check-in app of the early 2000s. “Businesses were caring about Foursquare, which I don’t even think that’s even around anymore. It’s just constantly changing.”

A CLEAR MESSAGE

For nonprofits, with whom Coneflower Consulting, LangfordMedia and McCaskill all work, setting up a website can mean more work in terms of getting their message across. The website for a restaurant, however, would need a menu, a look at the dining area and an explanation of the cuisine, more design-focused and artistic than communicative.

Bishop describes a nonprofit’s website as the place where the organization controls its identity and can share it with others, where it can share its mission and explain its purpose to the public in a clear way—something like “a calling card,” she says.

It can be difficult to make this all work, the designers agree, because what they’re ultimately trying to do is craft something that is attractive and communicative, but will ultimately be maintained by someone else. These sites have to be built so they are easy and accessible, and won’t cause huge problems if the client tries to do something such as adding a new event.

“All nonprofits need twice as much money and twice as many people,” McCaskill emphasizes. “It’s always like, ‘We are doing the best we can with what we’ve got.’ ” It can be tricky to figure out how to condense so much information and so many services into something that feels navigable, while also appealing to the clients you’re trying to help and who want to give you money. To that end, scalability becomes a big part of what these web-design folks do.

“It’s superimportant, especially for a lot of nonprofits like Just Food,” McCaskill explains. “I’m working on the Bert Nash (Community Mental Health Center) website right now. They both have a lot of clients that don’t have computers, and all they have is a phone to be able to access you. So you want to make sure that that is going to work no matter what device you’re on so that they can get what they need.”

In the end, accessibility is what it’s all about, Coneflower’s Mullis says.

“We redid the Watkins (Museum of History) website last year,” he continues. “Obviously, they know what they’re about, but they also do a ton of things, and it becomes a question more of, ‘What do you want to focus on? What is the most important information to be putting up fron? What are you going give that real estate to?’ ”

If someone’s going to the Watkins Museum website, what are they looking for? It’s important that that’s identified first so a web designer can make sure it’s really easy to find. While it may

Jacinta Langford Hoyt, CEO of Langford Media

be important for more obscure things to be available, as well, people may have to dig for those a little more. The content that’s most important is a hard decision to make and may change over time.

“I think the pandemic is a good example for the Watkins,” Bishop says. “Before the pandemic, they were very much about bringing people into the space, showing the in-person exhibits and doing programming in the space. After the pandemic, Jeremy helped create a website that really shows off digital exhibits. They’re realizing that they need to be able to reach an audience that can’t always come and be in the space with them.”

The programming changes as people and the world evolve, Mullis concludes: “When you’re doing websites, inevitably, there are things you didn’t think about when you first set them up.” p

Creative Consultant Ashley McCaskill with some of her website work

TRANSFORMATION "THE FINALE"

Photos by Katy Ice and Jeff Burkhead

CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING

photos by Carter Gaskins

The Trust Company of Kansas is proud to announce:

Christopher M. English, C.T.F.A. – Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

In addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer, Chris has taken on the role of Chairman of the Board at The Trust Company of Kansas. Since assuming a leadership role in November 2020, he has led TCK in successfully managing over $1 billion in assets under management.

Teresa Akers – Vice President & Trust Officer

Teresa has been promoted to Vice President & Trust Officer. She will be responsible for the administration of a variety of account relationships – agencies, guardianships, revocable and irrevocable trusts, individual retirement accounts, and other types of fiduciary accounts in our Lawrence market. In this role, she will continue to work closely with Chief Executive Officer, Christopher English

Jennifer Moore – Vice President & Trust Officer

Jennifer has been promoted to Vice President & Trust Officer. She will be responsible for the administration of a variety of account relationships – agencies, guardianships, revocable and irrevocable trusts, individual retirement accounts, and other types of fiduciary accounts in our Lawrence market. In this role, she will continue to work closely with Senior Vice President & Trust Officer, Daniel Brogren.

Lee Anne Thompson – Vice President & Employee Benefit Officer

Lee Anne Thompson has been promoted to Vice President & Employee Benefit Officer. She assists TCK’s Administrators with the technical and administrative functions regarding ERISA plan administration for 401(k), Profit Sharing and Defined Contribution Defined Benefit Plans, and SIMPLE IRA Plans. Lee Anne’s knowledge and expertise allows her to best design effective retirement planning strategies on behalf of our clients.

Chris Davis – Vice President & Trust Officer

Chris joined The Trust Company of Kansas as Vice President & Trust Officer in December 2021. He will focus on business development and new growth opportunities in our Lawrence market.

Mindy Mesler – Trust Administrator

Mindy joined The Trust Company of Kansas in January 2022 after a successful career as an administrative assistant in the field of education.With her excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, Mindy will assist Chris English, Teresa Akers, and Jennifer Moore with the administration of their books of trust business and business development efforts in our Lawrence market.

Megan Miller’s business acumen grounds the creative minds at Tallgrass Studios

A Kansas native, Megan holds an MBA in Accounting from Pittsburg State University. Her expertise includes auditing, data analysis, and inventory management.

As Tallgrass Studios’ Fulfillment Director, Megan ensures that marketing collateral is printed, stored, and distributed with the utmost efficiency. She makes the process easy by managing clients’ custom online storefronts, order tracking, and managing their inventory levels.

Megan enjoys bringing her accounting and business background to balance the creative team at Tallgrass Studios.

Katie Hinkle joins Foundations Commercial

Foundations Commercial, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, welcomed Katie Hinkle to their team as their Communications and Social Media Director. Katie holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Analysis from Northeastern State University. She has an extensive leadership background in the retail sector and is eager to bring her business acumen to Ms. Flory’s team.

Foundations Commercial serves as a full-service brokerage offering Seller, Landlord, Buyer, and Tenant representation with clients throughout the state of Kansas. Kirsten Flory, President and Broker of Foundations Commercial, has led deals and worked with properties including office, retail, industrial, investment, and development land. “With our expanded market share and transaction volume, the time was right to expand our team,” explains Ms. Flory.

United Way of Kaw Valley Announces New Hires for Three Positions

Kathy Smith is the new Vice President of Douglas County Initiatives. A Topeka transplant, Smith now lives in Lawrence and is a third-generation Kansan. She has experience with nonprofit grantmaking, event planning, organizational convening, donor development and relationship building. Smith will oversee community investments in Douglas County, including grant-making, building relationships with agency partners, and strategic planning for the future of impact throughout the community. Her office is located in UWKV’s new Douglas County location, 1127 Iowa St. in Lawrence.

TJ McDonald is the new Director of Workplace Campaigns. TJ joins UWKV with years of experience in the sales and insurance industry. He has built great connections in the Topeka corporate world and enjoys helping businesses leverage their gifts to make the biggest impact in the community. Based in the Topeka office, TJ will work with businesses throughout Shawnee and Jackson County to execute their workplace campaigns and to develop year-round corporate partnerships with United Way of Kaw Valley. He will also work with UWKV’s Young Leaders Society donor affinity group, and with key campaign volunteers, including annual Campaign Ambassadors.

Nic Simons is the new Director of Major Gifts & Legacy Giving. Nic has spent his career working in education, youth sports, and grant development. Each of his roles has afforded him the opportunity to work with donors and individuals across all the counties served by United Way of Kaw Valley. Nic will work with donors who make gifts outside the workplace campaign, specifically leadership ($1,000 or more per year) and Tocqueville-level donors ($10,000 or more per year). This includes individuals making gifts of stock, IRA charitable rollovers, irrevocable trusts, and legacy gifts. He will also work with our Women United and Always United (retirees) donor affinity groups.

Arabella Gipp Earns Second-Straight Lawrence Youth of the Year Honors

Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence CEO, Monica Dittmer, explained the heartfelt reason why the Youth of the Year program is incredibly special after Arabella Gipp earned the 2023 Lawrence Youth of the Year honors. “Because it’s not a competition, and it’s not even just a group of kids – it’s a family,” Dittmer said. “That’s what we do. We bring these kids together, we put them in a circumstance and we provide the support they need to watch them grow into whoever they want to be. It’s a family atmosphere, it’s a safe place to try new things, it’s somewhere they can take a risk – they might fail, but they might also do something really amazing. That’s what makes this whole process so special.”

Presented by Mid America Bank, Youth of the Year celebrates the life-long relationships that kids develop with the Boys & Girls Club. Those students who earn a Youth of the Year nomination embody the values of leadership service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles. They exemplify the powerful impact that the Boys & Girls Club has on kids in Lawrence.

BGCLK celebrated five candidates in total in its annual event. Chloe Clossen (Sophomore, FSHS), Ohene Danso (Sophomore, FSHS), Audrey Rice (Graduated Senior, FSHS), La’Ron Williams (Junior, FSHS) and Gipp were each nominated by their Club mentors to vie for the top honor a Club kid can receive. Gipp, a sophomore at Lawrence High School, was named the Lawrence Youth of the Year winner for the second year in a row.

WHOSE DESK ?

Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine