Luncheon Speakers
April 2013
Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon meetings are held at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St., at noon each Monday, federal holidays excluded. Everyone is welcome! April 1 - Casey Reeter Casey will present the Young Professional Mentor Program test results and recommendations for full rollout. Sponsor Expeditions NW
April 8 - Walter Braswell Braswell, a US Postal Services Business Solutions Specialist, will present, “If you are not improving the situation, what are you doing?” Sponsor Seaport Landing.
April 15 - Kris Mayer
Mayer, or KLMayer Consulting Group, will discuss Public Charter Schools in Washington State: Authorizers, Accountability and Innovation - Recently, voters approved authorizing up to 40 public charter schools over the next five years. Rules and timelines are being adopted – what can we expect as we move ahead? Sponsor Jim Rough, Dynamic Facilitation
April 22 - Charley Kanieski The owner of the Business Guides will give an overview of the four ways to grow your business, offering an in-depth explanation of one.
April 29 - Judith KateFreidman Judith will discuss Songwriting Works and how music participation impacts your health and their role in the growing field of creative aging and wellness through the arts.
Uptown Nutrition: New focus, new energy By Suzy Carroll Conventional wisdom would offer this answer when a customer asks the question, how is business? “Fabulous, doing great, couldn’t be better”. The customer leaves as the business owner takes a deep breath, touches her nose to make sure it has not grown to the lengths of Pinocchio’s and continues to move about her day smiling, gratefully helping customers, but all the while wondering, how the hell is she going to pull out of this? For Uptown Nutrition, 2012 found sales declining and the year proved to be an emotional and revealing ride. As the year progressed I found myself growing weary of telling little white lies and frustrated by the feeling I was somewhat alone up here on the hill. I began asking other retailers how business was and their own conventional wisdom kicked in and they too answered as I had. I’m a believer in speaking my truth, when I shared mine I found that others began to share as well. I soon discovered I was not alone. Deep down I knew I had the answer to turning my business around and the answer came in the form of making tough decisions! With a deep breath and remembering why I purchased the store - to do whatever I could to help people live, and not lose a cherished life to chronic disease or cancer, like my dad had, I began making those tough decisions.
The staff at Uptown Nutrition is re-focused and moving ahead after owner Suzy Carroll took stock of her business and decided there was a need to reorganize. With the help of friends and fellow business people Uptown Nuturition is on track to being your wellness store. Decision number one: Take Decision number five: Find a a creative arrangement with four days to immerse myself private investor who had more Stephanie Dickey LMP, who in deep thought at a business faith in me, than I did. Decision leases massage studio space retreat for women and gather number six: Listen, trust and from me, but has three times the my strength. Decision numfollow my intuition! Decision experience in this industry than ber two: Lay off my fulltime number seven: Focus like I had I do, we began a complete store employee who purchased the never focused before. overhaul from product catmajority of our inventory and The above decisions led egory assessment, to a branding do it myself. Decision number to four months of the hardest project cheered on by Casey three: Surround myself with work I have ever experienced Reeter, to a new business plan people who possess the same in my professional life. With in place before accepting what I positive (albeit wavering at the help of my staff, the suplovingly refer to as “my growth times) approach I thrive on. port of my husband, and my loan” and even a new logo is Decision number four: Invite “spotters group” (a group of in the works. My growth loan marketing expert Casey Reeter business women/friends who provided dollars to keep our for coffee and pick her brain. meet monthly) and through Continued on Page 2